Shane Thompson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The department has been meeting with the city several times this past summer and most recently as of Monday, February 24, when I had the opportunity of meeting with the city as well as YK Dene First Nation. We have a working group in place that involves the city, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Lands, and E and I, and so we are working together on this issue. The department's goal is to have the process document done hopefully this year, and then we will work on transferring the lands in the future. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

As I have tried to say here in the House, it's a three-party process. It's the federal government, us, and DFN. I understand that DFN and the federal government have agreed to this area right now. Again, I am not saying we do not agree with it, but it's about the process. The whole process needs to be addressed, and we need clear understanding of where we are going ahead of this. Again, this is a Cabinet issue, and we are trying to work with them. We have reached out to them in correspondence. The Premier has already met with the grand chief, and we are starting that process. What I will say...

This is actually a very complicated file because it involves EIA, Executive and Indigenous Affairs, and Lands, and DFN, and we are trying to work with them to get a clear understanding of the process, the big process, of how we are dealing with all issues with the Dehcho First Nations. Right now, this is where we are working on it. We have been corresponding through letters. As well, the Premier has already met with the grand chief about a month ago, I believe, or a month and a half ago, to start the negotiations again.

An MOU may not be the necessary document or process we need to do moving forward, so what we are doing is we are working with the municipality to come up with a document that will ensure, as we move forward 10, 20, 30, or 40 years down the road. It's going to meet the needs of the residents of Yellowknife and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Yes. We did attend the NWTAC meeting, and there were no commitments or no questions asked from the association in regard to this issue, but I can tell this House and the public that we have had communications with the various tax-base communities on how we can move forward on this issue. This is very complex, and we are trying to work together.

Madam Speaker. The 19th Legislative Assembly believes our decisions must reflect a full understanding of our communities and regions. It is our responsibility to ensure that the needs of our residents are reflected in the decisions that will impact them. This is especially important when it comes to decisions about the land, Madam Speaker. That's why our northern Indigenous governments and communities are at the heart of our northern approach to establishing and managing protected areas.

The Northwest Territories is a leader in Canada when it comes to conservation plans. We work closely with...

Sorry. Thank you, Madam Chair. When we are looking at barriers, it is about trying to work with the communities to see what they want to do, what they want to harvest, and then again it is making sure that we are doing things within the right act, the framework and policies, moving forward. Again, it is about also training some of the staff. It is a mentoring process to it. Again, so these are some of the challenges from ENR's aspect of it. It is about how we work with the governments.

On my other half, it is about the ability to deal with the land. Again, it comes down to our regulations and...

The Bathurst Caribou Range Plan made nine recommendations to manage the range of the Bathurst caribou herd. Habitat conservation is recommended in areas of importance to caribou, such as key water crossings and land corridors. ENR is supporting Indigenous governments to document these key habitats and features. We will then work collaboratively to identify legislative tools to establish conservation areas. The Bathurst Caribou Range Plan recommends managing the total level of development on the range of the herd, including industrial development in communities and roads.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I'd like to thank the two Members from Frame Lake and Kam Lake for attending the meeting. That was greatly appreciated, them attending and listening to the concerns by the Indigenous governments and the Government of Nunavut and the GNWT. To make a short answer, yes, we are going to be having a follow-up meeting, both myself and the Premier/Minister from Nunavut. We made a commitment to do the meeting and have it in Kugluktuk as we work on it. Again, we are working toward that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Right now, they are meeting as a board independent of their roles as deputy ministers. They are taking on the task of trying to govern the NWT Power Corporation as best they can with the information that they have. Again, right now, it's not costing us anything to pay them. We're not paying them to do that job. Right now, they're independent. Yes, they are DMs who were appointed, but they are going as individuals, not as DMs.

In your speaking notes, you talked about the DMs who were removed or replaced. We're fixing that. We're specifically talking about those people to do those positions right...