Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the standing committee has reviewed Bill 12, An Act To Amend The Wildlife Act. This bill amends the act to recognize the provisions of the Inuvialuit final agreement as they pertain to wildlife harvesting and management. The bill further provides for the Commissioner to develop regulations regarding the implementation and recognition of existing and future land claims.
The Inuvialuit final agreement was signed in 1984, ten years ago. The Northwest Territories has seen three more land claims agreements signed in that period for the Gwich'in, the Sahtu, and Nunavut. The committee is concerned with the length of time it has taken for this government to expedite legislation concerning claimant groups.
Further, the committee is disappointed that the government has not taken this opportunity to introduce further amendments to an outdated piece of legislation. Many concerns have been voiced over the years about the provisions within the Wildlife Act and the committee would have welcomed amendments that would have addressed those issues.
The committee would like to note that the government made a commitment three years ago, when we considered similar legislation, to review the entire Wildlife Act. The committee wonders at what stage this review is at. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.