Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions of the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources about caribou management of the Bathurst herd. I’d like to start with the withdrawal of a question from the Supreme Court on the ability of GNWT to fully restrict the caribou hunting by aboriginal people in certain areas.
Obviously, I think it’s clear to the Minister the biggest issue is with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and they clearly did not want this question withdrawn from the courts. So I’m wondering why indeed Cabinet decided to withdraw this question from the courts. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The question that was put forward to the courts and subsequently, as Members are aware, that we’ve withdrawn that question. It was after a meeting with aboriginal leadership across the Territories that we took that into consideration and the work that we do with the regional leadership. In the discussions with the leadership across the Northwest Territories it was felt that the better avenue was to sit down together and work through this arrangement, and that’s what we’ve done. Thank you.
Thank you. Once again, I appreciate those remarks from the Premier. I hope that there was some communication with the Yellowknives Dene on this and some agreement before that decision was made, but it does beg the question: what is the government doing now to work with the Yellowknives Dene on the caribou management issue to ensure that a quality, fully supported caribou management plan is in place by this fall? Thank you.
Thank you. Since that information is detailed ongoing discussions with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, I’ll have that redirected to Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are currently fully engaged, of course, in the Wek’eezhii process. At the same time, we recognize the need to have a parallel process with the Akaitcho and the Yellowknives. There have been meetings this week and every week preceding this week as well with our very senior ADM, with the chief or a dozen elders. Today is basically their elders’ summit to talk about the steps ahead to come up with an arrangement that we can have in place for this coming hunting season, as well as map out the plan forward for a longer term as we plan for the Bathurst herd and it will be linked and integrated into the Wek’eezhii process so that we have an overall coordinated caribou plan for the Bathurst herd. Thank you.
Thank you. That’s easy to say, but obviously it wasn’t easy, it was impossible to deliver in the past, it wasn’t delivered. What exceptional effort is the department putting in to getting this done in a way that will actually achieve the goals the Minister just mentioned? Thank you.
Thank you. We have, firstly, there’s been an enormous amount of work put into this whole issue. There is a significant incentive, the ban is in place and will stay in place until we have something to replace it with. So the plan is -- and the parties are all aware of this -- that we want to apply ourselves to come up with an agreement. There have been very strong signals, not only signals, but so far the cooperation of the Yellowknives and we intend to keep working with them along with the Wek’eezhii and the Northwest Territories Metis to come up with a plan. While it may be an interim arrangement because a long-term plan is going to take some time, I’m convinced and I’m committed to getting an interim arrangement for the Bathurst herd for this coming hunting season. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, I appreciate the comments from the Minister. I hope that he is successful in that commitment. It is a big challenge and we do not want... Obviously, nobody wants to end up where we were here recently. Caribou don’t benefit and neither does anybody else. Will the plan that’s being developed here take into consideration both the numbers we know and the poor condition and low survival of calves that seems to be indicated with the most recent information as a result of looking at the hunted animals in that range? Thank you.
Thank you. Yes, we’re going to take all those factors into consideration as there will be more work done this summer on the Bluenose East, we’re going to try to do some work on the Ahiak, we’re going to do as well some work on the Bathurst. So we intend that all that information has to be added to the mix. We’re going to build in the traditional knowledge that has been part of this process so far, work with the communities as well to come up with the best information, and, once again, the indications are that there is strong commitment by all the parties to come up with a plan so that we’re ready for this coming hunting season and that the ban can be replaced by a management plan that has been signed off by the aboriginal governments. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
