Michael Miltenberger

That broad policy issue and debate and discussion, I think, has to take place as a Legislature, to lay out whatever specific conventions or protocols that we need to have agreed to, to address the concerns raised by the Member. I know at this point we are doing our planning collectively, looking at June 2011 as the date up to which we could make substantive decisions, but after that we’re planning, recognizing that we’ll be moving into an election year. As a Cabinet, we’ve picked that particular date as a target for us that we’re working back from, recognizing that we’re going to be into a...

As we look at this $15 million, the other point to keep in mind is that it’s significantly self-liquidating through the tolls and all the other arrangements that have been signed as part of this deal. But going forward, because of this debt and other debt that we’ve agreed to accumulate as part of the current economic downturn, we are going to be going down in our borrowing limit. In 2011-12, available borrowing capacity will shrink to about $85 million. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That deals with a specific program area under the mandate of the Minister of Public Works and Services. I want to defer that question to him.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We have some initiatives underway. For example, if we bring forward and all agree to a rate restructuring that will lower the cost of living in the smaller communities through lowering power rates, then we will be in a situation of being able to positively affect the whole food basket. I also would suggest that we are better off to leave this money in the budget where it now is, and the Minister has indicated that most of it is going to go to the communities and he has indicated his willingness to work with committee on this. I think it is important that we consider...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document titled Northwest Territories Public Accounts, 2008-2009. Thank you.

With the Tlicho, my understanding is that they’ve had at least two, if not more, successful community hunts already outside the no-hunting zone. We’ve worked with the communities. We’ve gone out. They’ve harvested caribou. We’ve assisted them. They’ve brought the caribou back to the communities to be passed out to all the members and it’s been a very successful, cooperative process. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have offered some suggestions and alternatives to the Yellowknives. We’ve also taken the liberty of doing a survey through the Chief Drygeese territory to see what animals, what caribou may be available outside of the no-hunting zone. That work has been done. We are committed, when they get to us, to see where we can go and try to find that common ground. Thank you.

We should be clear: there is a distinct difference. The compressed circumstances arising around this emergency situation. But over the normal course of events we have a full consultation process as a government, as ENR. I would just point all the way up north and work our way down the valley with the Inuvialuit, with the Gwich’in, with the Sahtu, the Tlicho process is underway. We have spent millions when it comes to consulting and involving all the aboriginal governments with water, with the Species at Risk Act. We’re doing the same with the Wildlife Act. On a regular, ongoing basis, with all...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When it comes to the issue of the Interim Emergency Measures, it was a very compressed time frame and efforts were made -- every effort, I would suggest -- to try to make sure we consulted with the aboriginal governments, both Tlicho and the Yellowknives as well as the folks around the lake that were users of the herd.

Mr. Speaker, everything I have seen indicates to me that there is no amount of sustainable harvest on the Bathurst that will allow the herd to survive at this point. We have made other arrangements. We have had and do have offers to help hunt outside the no-hunting zone. There are a couple of herds that, for this year at least, can sustain some extra harvest, the Bluenose-East and the Ahiak. Our hierarchy is set up. When there are restrictions, we start with removing the commercial harvest, the outfitters, the resident tags, and we work very hard and long to protect the aboriginal harvest...