Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask some further questions to the Minister of ENR to follow up on some of the questions that I asked earlier to see if we can get some clarification as to what the department can do to advise our public and our residents about the results of the consultations that have happened relative to the Wildlife Act.
The Minister at one point, I think in his last response, said he didn’t know what I have in mind, so maybe I will try and explain to him what I do have in mind. There were numerous consultations. There were notes taken at those meetings. There were specific questions asked at those meetings. Presumably the department has answered those specific questions. I would ask the Minister to compile notes of the meetings, compile answers to questions asked and concerns raised and publicize those. Will he do that? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We will pull that information together. It will be on the ENR website and, where possible, as we discuss that with the Member for Frame Lake, where one of the other Members will look at direct responses as well to those people or organizations that made specific representations. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister for that. I would hope that that information would be on the website sooner rather than later and that there would be some public statement to that effect.
There has been concern. I certainly heard concerns at the meetings I was at about infringement on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms by some of the provisions or some of the clauses in the draft act. I would like to know from the Minister what the department has done to deal with those concerns, those legal issues. I understand that there may be some kind of a legal opinion being sought, that the Department of Justice analyzes acts from a legal perspective. What is happening at this point to deal with the concerns of the public relative to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms infringements? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, all the legislation that we do as a government is reviewed by Justice to make sure it complies with the senior laws of the land, like rights and freedoms, Canadian Constitution. This bill was no different and is no different. It has been reviewed thoroughly, and while there are some assertions from some quarters that it does not comply, we are of the opinion, clearly, that it does. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, to that review, a couple of the concerns that I know of is the hunter education for only some of our residents, the limitation of age on hunters, those two things for sure and there are a couple of other ones. But I guess what I would like to know from the Minister that the review that was done by the Department of Justice, was that done before these concerns were raised or after? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, we have legal counsel with us every step of the way on this piece of legislation looking at all issues, all amendments, changes when concerns are raised to look at the interpretation, make sure that whatever is put into the bill complies completely. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to reference a comment that the Minister made relative to the conference of management authorities. He said that the GNWT has three seats on this body. If GNWT has three seats, will the Minister agree to have one seat for a GNWT representative and allow those two other seats to be filled by members of the public or public organizations? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, it may only be two seats depending on what the final count comes to, but the fact is that we will have some seats at the table and we will look at, as appropriate, bringing other parties, stakeholders, to the table. Thank you.
