Bob Bromley

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not asking about committees here; I’m asking for transparency to the public. There is the potential for this consult to modify process to be completely in confidence and thus remove the ability of the public to participate meaningfully. So I’m asking for a commitment from the Minister to ensure that if they are submitting to the Joint Review Panel in this consult to modify process, that those documents be put on the public registry with all the other documents that have had to be put on the public registry to date so that the public can be informed. Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 62-16(4) and would like to report progress. I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.

I think the public certainly would appreciate more details on how the GNWT intends to proceed on this so that they can have their participation and input and at least be aware of what’s going on. Does the GNWT intend to invoke the consult to modify process with the Joint Review Panel regarding the modification or rejection of any recommendations? You know, the public would like to know if that’s happening. If we intend to modify, will we be using that mechanism? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Menicoche.

As the panel said, if you can’t do it all, don’t do it. Without the money, we can’t do it. I am calling on the government to ensure that if this project is to go ahead, we are able to meet the key recommendations and we must meet all of the responsibilities and get the revenue deal we need to do it. As I have said, we must carry out on the process in an open and transparent manner to involve our public and share in their ideas. I will be asking the Minister of ENR questions as the lead agency. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. We are moving now to Mr. Ramsay.

Thank you. We’ll proceed with general comments. First we will call a short break.

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So I will anticipate that the government is planning to present their positions in the final arguments at the April public hearings. I’d just like confirmation on that. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, when the GNWT assumed responsibility for the management of this herd, they inherited from aboriginal residents a healthy population of caribou. Yet, over the last 20 years we have seen this catastrophic decline and its management practices and efforts have failed. The Yellowknives Dene have indicated that if the situation requires, they would reduce their harvest to one caribou per person, say per hunter, per year. So they are ready and willing to engage and apply their authority to conserve caribou. Did the government try to bring them into the determination of hunting...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am convinced that the Minister has faced this decision, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, for a hunting ban of caribou on careful and thorough consideration of the information available on the caribou. However, my understanding is that there was only one meeting with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, a meeting on the 1st of December, in which the Yellowknives Dene expressed disagreement with the ban. I am also aware that, in contrast, there were repeated meetings with the Tlicho and, of course, the Wekeezhii Renewable Resource Board through the same...