Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be directed to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources today and it’s to follow up on my Member’s statement.
Mr. Speaker, I was trying to raise an issue and certainly paint a picture about working together on this caribou issue. As everyone knows, it’s significant and it affects a lot of our constituents, not just here in Yellowknife but throughout this whole Territory. Mr. Speaker, my question directly to the Minister of ENR is: what efforts can the GNWT do to encourage the renewable board that should be overseeing the decision, the guidance and the future of the caribou? What can they do to get them working on this issue rather than the GNWT implementing a broad ban? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Wekeezhii board was set up as a result of the self-government agreement with the Tlicho. They have their mandate, they have their process, they have set out the timelines and we are working with the board. They know the pressing issue at hand. We have been in correspondence for many, many months and they are doing everything that they can to get their process working. In the meantime, recognizing the emergency with the Bathurst herd, the government has come to their assistance as they get themselves up and running to put the ban in place to protect the herd while that work is being done. Thank you.
Thank you. I appreciate the answer from the Minister, but what can the GNWT do to make sure that they are meeting and discussing this issue? What’s holding them back specifically? They are the ones that need to be making this decision and they are the ones that need to be guiding the future of this problem. Thank you.
Thank you. The board has an authority that they are operating under and they are doing the work that’s necessary. They are getting up and running. There has been some slippage in the dates that they put forward, and in the meantime, as I’ve indicated, the thing that we’re concentrating on is not so much trying to involve ourselves in how they do their business. They know the urgency and they’re doing everything to meet the targets. Our priority has been to make the right decisions during this hunting season where we cannot afford another unregulated harvest, is to put the ban in place to give the Bathurst herd some relief. Thank you.
Thank you. The Wekeezhii process is one key piece, but when that work is done, the Tlicho Government and the territorial government will work with the Wekeezhii board. But we also have to work with the Akaitcho and the Yellowknives and the Northwest Territories Metis, because we need to have one strategy for dealing with the Bathurst herd because it overlaps into more than one jurisdiction. The board is doing the work that they know is necessary. They’re taking the steps to get themselves up and running, and our job, in the meantime, is to do the right thing and help the Bathurst herd. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will not argue that the number one issue here is to protect to make sure that the livelihood of the caribou exists for people for many generations beyond, if not forever, but the fact is the board is the one that needs to be making the decision. Has the GNWT done anything to help support this board so they can meet in a timely way? Because this issue just didn’t fall in their lap in December or this month of January. This is an issue that’s been building for some time. So what has the GNWT done to support them? Thank you.
The GNWT has supported the Tlicho process, right from its inception to its conclusion, in signing off with implementation, and we continue to work and have been in contact with officials with the information. We’ve submitted our reports, work is being done, the board is setting itself up to do the work necessary to listen to all the interveners and make their determination and recommendations back to the GNWT and the Tlicho Government. So we are doing all things we think we can do from every aspect of this particular complex problem. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
