Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
My question is to the Minister of Justice. The Gwich'in Land Claim Settlement Act was given oral ascent December 22, 1992 and is protected under section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Pursuant to section 20.1.2 of the Gwich'in Agreement: "Persons who are not participants in the Gwich'in claim may only enter, cross, stay, on Gwich'in land with the permission of the Gwich'in Tribal Council. Persons who disobey that section shall be considered to be trespassers."
According to the Gwich'in Tribal Council, who have discussed this matter with federal officials, Department of Justice, Department of Renewable Resources, right now there is absolutely no way that a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Resource Officer can enforce that division of the Gwich'in agreement, especially under law or statute or acts within the Northwest Territories. There are concerns my constituency and leaders that there may be problems in the future with trespassers, also in regards to .. because there is not legal remedy to resolve this, that there may be court challenges and problems in the legal system later.
I would like to ask the Minister, is it possible to develop and introduce a petty trespassing act similar to the ones in Southern Canada through legislation in the Northwest Territories and when, how soon can the Minister start looking at developing something like that?