Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to continue on my questions to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in regard to outfitter activities in the Mackenzie Mountains. Mr. Speaker, the magnitude of this issue is that there are eight outfitters licensed by the GNWT that cover 51,000 square miles in the Mackenzie Mountains. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the outfitters’ activity there, does his department monitor the agreements between the GNWT and the groups there in terms of an outfitter’s agreement, in terms of employment or in terms of agreed things that should be happening between the communities and the licensed outfitters?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Wherever ENR has a role to play, it’s my understanding that we are complying. If there are other departments involved in terms of monitoring the employment and those types of things, I’m not in a position necessarily to speak to that. But I know, as a government, our intent is to fully comply and monitor where we have an obligation. Thank you.
In terms of the monitoring, I would ask the Minister, if his department could review the obligations in terms of this government, the aboriginal governments and the invited guests, the outfitters, in terms of the agreements here? In terms of monitoring, there are certain provisions within our regulations that would be very helpful in terms of working on a committed agreement by our communities and the outfitters in terms of employment, in terms of wildlife meat coming into the communities. Can the Minister look at having a review if all parties could sit down and see where we could strengthen this agreement?
Yes, I will, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
On the outfitters in terms of the ownership, can the Minister confirm if there have been no changes to the ownership of the Arctic Red Outfitters and that there’s no licence that needs to be changed in terms of this issue? Thank you.
My understanding was that the issue of concern was that in fact the licence had changed hands and there was concern about whether due process was followed. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d certainly be anxious to look at the due process in terms of this licence. I’ll ask the Minister again in terms of the outfitters and in terms of the wildlife officers that do monitor the outfitters in terms of wildlife meat, my understanding is there’s just over 8,000 pounds of meat that’s being taken out by the outfitters and that is equivalent to about $75,000 worth if you were to buy that in a retail store. Can the Minister confirm to me or answer to me in terms of this wildlife food that’s being taken out, that every part of this wildlife food is being distributed to the communities in the Sahtu or Gwich’in or Deh Cho communities?
As far as I’m aware, that is the practice. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
