Debates of May 31, 2005 (day 5)

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In my Member’s statement, I spoke about the meeting between the honourable Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources and Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and Tlicho leaders. At this meeting, Madam Speaker, we touched briefly on the Wildlife Act, but the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, Tlicho and Sahtu would like to put their efforts into drafting a Species at Risk Act. My question, Madam Speaker, is to the Honourable Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, on whether his department is drafting legislation on this other act. If not, when will he direct his department to move on the act for discussion for the claimant groups? Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. I’m sorry, for who? Okay. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 57-15(4): Drafting Legislation On The Species At Risk Act

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, first I’d like to acknowledge the key role the Member for Nunakput played in helping orchestrate this meeting where we had an opportunity, myself and Minister Bell as the Minister of Justice, to sit down with the people that my colleague mentioned to talk about the Species at Risk Act and the Wildlife Act.

I followed up on that meeting with a letter on May 18th to all of the involved parties. In that letter, I committed to three things. We committed to setting up a meeting in June, hopefully early June, but it looks like we might slip it into later June. We’re going to move on the request for a collaborative drafting process that allows input from all the parties and then we’ll prepare draft discussion documents for the meeting on the collaborative process and the proposed timelines for completing the work. Madam Speaker, that was sent out May 18th.

This morning at 8:00 we had a meeting, myself once again with some of the Environment and Natural Resources staff, the deputy, as well as the Minister of Justice and his people to talk about the collaborative process and the need to nail down the date in June to come to the table. During that meeting, we also received a document from the Wildlife Management Advisory Council where they had a draft memorandum that they thought would address some of the issues in terms of what a collaborative process could look like. So we’ve taken that document, as well, and we’re reviewing it with Environment and Natural Resources and Justice is reviewing it with their staff. We intend to follow up very quickly to what they’ve proposed along with whatever suggestions we may have in addition to that. We are still committed to the June meeting and, if the Member will recollect, we’re also committed to a very aggressive timeline to try to have a draft bill or a bill ready for first reading in this House in the fall session. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 57-15(4): Drafting Legislation On The Species At Risk Act

Thank you, Madam Speaker. That’s a lot of information in such a short time, since the meeting in April anyway. Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. We’re talking about mid-June now. Has there been any contact with the other claimant groups with regard to how soon -- maybe I didn’t understand -- but how soon the collaboration with them for the drafting of the act will take place? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 57-15(4): Drafting Legislation On The Species At Risk Act

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, the way I envision this process unfolding, and I think based on the discussions we’ve had, would be the meeting we would have in June will allow the leadership to get together with some technical support people to discuss the details of the collaborative process and the time frames and those specific issues, and possibly sign off a memorandum of agreement or understanding on how we’re going to proceed. At that point, the technical people and program people can start the process of moving on the Species at Risk Act, which it is my understanding has a considerable amount of work already done. Hopefully that work will be reviewed and approved and then we can move on to complete what’s left to be done with a timeline to have a bill for first reading in the fall session. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Pokiak.

Supplementary To Question 57-15(4): Drafting Legislation On The Species At Risk Act

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I think my next question is, if I understand correctly, was there a first draft of the legislative act before? Are there any flaws with it that the aboriginal groups didn’t want to push forward with? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Pokiak. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 57-15(4): Drafting Legislation On The Species At Risk Act

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, there was an initial draft done some time ago on the Species at Risk Act, but once the issue of the collaborative process came up, it put a basic stop to any further kind of collaborative work. Then there was an election and new Cabinet and splitting of departments, all of which took time. We are now ready to move on this. In the interim, as well, the department has been putting its best efforts to work along with Justice to flush out what would be the content of the bill, but there have been no other drafts circulated other than that one. Once we have this meeting on the collaborative process and hopefully reach an agreement, then that work will all be put on the table as is outlined in this letter and we can move forward from there to get a draft bill or a bill completed. Thank you.