Mr. Speaker, there are a number of outfitters in the Northwest Territories. As the Member said, the licenses to operate were issued some years ago. I know the question of whether the people of the north, particularly aboriginal people, should have the first right to purchase and own these has come up, particularly during the course of claims negotiations. In fact, one group, for sure, has right of first refusal, and both regional claims have those clauses in their agreements.
How people could get involved in monitoring these is a good question. What I understand is that these operators go into the mountains or out in the barren lands, wherever they operate, and they know that one of the conditions of their license is that they operate within the laws set up by the Government of the Northwest Territories. We know that none of them condone any illegal hunting or any infraction of the laws that govern these provisions.
Some of these operators, as well, hire northern people, aboriginal people, as guides and workers so there is some assurance for local people that what is going on out there is fully within the laws, and the outfits are run by good, honest, hard-working people. I have no specific suggestions to make about how to reassure people that these operations are not breaking any laws. I have to believe they are working within the provisions and laws they are bound by. When they come out with their trophies, there are tags that are bound to the antlers and other trophies that come out. Those are the ways we can reassure ourselves that things are being done in a rational manner. Thank you.