Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask a question to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources on his update on the Protected Areas Strategy. As people might be aware, the Deh Cho has been in discussions a long time, particularly with communities that have put their faith in the Protected Areas Strategy when it began in 1999. It’s been a long, drawn-out process. Communities have been involved and elders have been involved. A lot of the elders that were initially involved have passed on, so a lot of the leaders have taken up at least the torch of trying to move forward on some key areas...

The Tu Nedhe communities would be combined in a riding with Detah, Ndilo and residents of the Ingraham Trail beyond Yellowknife’s boundaries. These proposals technically give every vote something we might call equal power, but these votes are not the only source of power, and day to day with any of the people in the affected ridings would actually be better represented. I think anyone who knows NWT would say no, and emphatically no at that.

I don’t know if there are any ways to improve on these proposals, but I cannot support the choices offered by the Boundaries Commission. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the chair of the Assembly’s Standing Committee on Government Operations, I’m pleased to move this motion. Committee members have a keen interest in any measures that could improve government accountability, administrative fairness and responsiveness. The matter of a territorial ombudsman, which could be just such a measure, has often been discussed in this House. There is support from this Assembly for the concept, as shown by the passage of Motion 9-17(3) last June.

The Standing Committee on Government Operations took the initiative to write to the Premier to state...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to deal with a motion I gave notice of earlier today.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank my colleague from Range Lake for seconding this motion. Essentially this motion asks for the establishment of ambulances and, at the same time, highway rescue services to deal with people that are in distress either in communities or on the highway.

Of course, it also calls for the enhancement of first responder training, training for fire departments, as well, and likely the establishment of protocols for dealing with emergency situations both inside and outside of communities. I understand there has been an interdepartmental exercise in terms of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] Here in Denendeh and since the treaty for Dene lands, we are living our traditional way of hunting and trapping, and also there are Metis and Inuit, and it’s to the point where they are governing their own lands. [Translation ends]

…has not yet signed their land claims agreement but has reached a number of interim arrangements. There are six candidate protected areas in the Dehcho in various stages of the Protected Areas Strategy process. The land is protected under a land withdrawal interim measures agreement that expires this year. The Government of the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Board of Management provide sufficient additional funding for the Human Rights Commission to review the NWT Human Rights Act in the context of current Canadian human rights legislation and Northwest Territories realities and make recommendations in its next annual report.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Standing Committee on Government Operations has submitted its report number 1-17(4) on the Review of the 2011-2012 Northwest Territories Human Rights Commission Annual Report.

The committee’s report, which includes three recommendations, was read into the record by the chair of the committee, and with the kind consent of the Assembly, a motion was passed to move the report into Committee of the Whole.

This report thanks the past chair, members, and staff of the Human Rights Commission for their exemplary efforts to promote the understanding of human rights and...

One community in particular is trying to advance protected areas, and they’ve been working on that for a long time, especially elders that have committed to believing that this process will work on behalf of the communities. PAS areas throughout the North would benefit all Northerners.

What options are available to the Dehcho to continue to advance areas for permanent protection?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. Quite a few years back, the Berger Commission, of course, travelled all over the NWT, and in his report he outlined that before any major development happened, there had to be an effort in particular areas. Recently, there was a vision that envisioned that there would be a network of protected areas from the Yellowstone to the Yukon. Of course, with the initiative on the Protected Areas Strategy in the NWT, it’s brought international recognition.

My question to the Minister: What is the Government of...