Bob Bromley

Obviously, that’s not good. A government-to-government relationship you’d expect a lot better than that, and I think we also have a responsibility to try and be aware of what our residents are being exposed to or not.

As the Minister’s December 2012 letter to AANDC Minister John Duncan said, with the signing of the Devolution AIP, it’s more important now than ever before that our two organizations work together, and I appreciate the Minister saying that.

The Minister’s letter briefed the federal Minister on the work underway to develop the recreational leasing policy framework. But what is the...

With my colleagues’ co-operation again for returning to the next item on the orders, I will be asking the Minister’s assurance that he will make clear that come devolution day, every hunting and fishing leaseholder will be rigorously held to conditions for no creation of permanent structures. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to return to item 3 on the orders of the day.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thanks to the Minister for that response. The information that I received from our Minister indicates that AANDC has a heap of applications on file, so the potential is large for a lot more of these to be happening in the area that we’re trying to manage responsibly.

I appreciate hearing that the Minister has been in touch with the federal government on this and let him know that we’d like no further leases. I understand there is no response yet, but does the Minister agree that the next recreational leases granted on lands should, in fact, be decided by this government and not the federal...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to follow up on my Member’s statement with some questions on the Recreational Leasing Policy. First of all I want to clarify who knew what on the issue of the many so-called hunting and fishing leases granted by AANDC, particularly those on Walsh and Banting lakes.

Can the Minister confirm whether his department was informed by our federal land management partner of its intention to grant new leases in the exact areas and lakes where we are trying to introduce comprehensive land use management? And really, for that matter, can the Minister confirm whether any...

Thank you, colleagues. I appreciate the opportunity to give my Member’s statement here today. For the past four years, I pushed for sound recreational land use planning in the Yellowknife block of land transfer area surrounding Walsh and Banting lakes and beyond. We had a premature draft plan released by MACA and a promise for a completed policy framework by this March 31st, but thanks to recent and outrageous action by our federal land management partners, we can forget about that document or any worthwhile plan for now.

Walsh and Banting lease holders are steaming over AANDC’s recent granting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is: What will our role be in land use planning, actual land use planning on the ground under the new auspices of devolution? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, I also would like to know exactly what are these new and existing northern tools that we hear referred to explicitly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d also like to recognize David Connelly, a resident of Weledeh, here with his colleagues. I would also like to recognize Peter Redvers here representing Sambaa K’e Dene Band of Trout Lake and Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation of Kakisa and their considerable work on the Protected Areas Strategy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that. The poem contained a person’s first name. I should have caught this and questioned it, but I did not. If in so doing I caused unintended offence to anyone, I apologize to both them and this House. Further, Mr. Speaker, I will be on guard to make sure that I will not do this again. Mahsi.