I would like to know when the Cabinet will meet to discuss this issue. Thank you.
Debates of May 16th, 1996
Topics
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Madam Chair, I am not able to advise the Member at this time as to when we would be preparing to go to Cabinet on this. I would expect to be able to get a firm idea of the relative amount of time I need in order to first put the issue to Cabinet and get direction on how to answer and address the questions that will arise from the Cabinet discussion. Thank you.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
Thank you, Madam Chair. Could the Minister explain to me the implications of the Nunavut land claims agreement and what role boards like the Nunavut Impact Review Board and the Nunavut Environmental Review Board will have on the current way of dealing with these issues?
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Madam Chair, the impact review panel will be involved in reviewing this project once it is actually proposed. As a result of the obligations arising from the Nunavut claim, these agencies will be involved in the project review. Thank you.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
Thank you, Madam Chair. When will the Nunavut land claims provisions involving impact review, environment and wildlife management come to full effect?
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 15th, 1996
Page 434
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Madam Chair, I believe that once an actual document proposing to go ahead with a specific project is received by the federal government and by this government, those processes will begin. Thank you.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
My next question, Madam Chair, is whether the GNWT...
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Sorry. Can I just interrupt you for one second? Mr. Barnabas, I just wanted to ask you, is this question on the same subject as the previous questions, because I am thinking that perhaps we should give some of the other Members a chance to ask questions and still come back to yours if it's on a new topic.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 434
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
Okay.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Levi Barnabas High Arctic
Yes.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Madam Chair. I hope the deputy minister doesn't have a tee time booked tonight because he is probably going to miss it.
I would just like to make a number of general comments with regard to this department and areas of concern that I will be watching with interest.
I am very interested in the new steps being taken in forest fire management and attempts to bring control closer to the communities, and in relation to that, of course, to see how the CANSO story will unfold and if they will be as efficient as is hoped, and hopefully, we will have some clear data by the end of the fire season to give us an indication one way or the other which way we are going to go with those.
I am also very concerned about the whole area that was touched on somewhat in the budget: timber management and forest inventory. I consider that to be a very fundamental management tool. If we are going to make the right decisions for the right reasons, we have to know what we have, what kinds of resources, where they are, their age, species and all those other integral components of an inventory. I look forward to seeing that built into some sort of -which may exist -- an overall timber management plan.
I am also -- as I learn more and more about the area of renewable resources -- very concerned about the state of rivers and water. I have had numerous discussions with the mayor of Fort Smith, who is on the Northern Basin River Study, and I made a statement earlier this week in the House about the state of stress that the river systems are under: with pollution and development; the temperature and climate change, which has affected the rates of evaporation and cut our water supplies. This is going to have a direct impact on things such as forest fire management, as water levels drop and the dryness increases in the bush. The Northern Basin River Study and the Mackenzie basin agreement are two critical pieces of information that are going to have a great bearing in the coming year.
My final two comments relate to the western harvesters' fund. Based on my somewhat superficial information, it appears very easy to access that funding. I am thinking particularly of a proposal received from my riding -- which was acknowledged as being very thin -- which we were going to fund to the tune of over $500,000. Although I fully support the intent and the use of those funds, I'm very concerned we spend the money wisely and that we fund proposals which can stand the scrutiny, both in terms of being economical and efficient, but also tie into the overall plans for renewable resources; in this case, timber management or any other area.
I'm very interested in working through the committees and the Minister's department, with the deputy minister, on the whole area of consolidation. I think there's an opportunity not just to integrate existing departments, but create a new structure that will allow a whole array of creative blending of structures and development of a new approach and integration of a whole array of services which will hopefully allow us to move forward in a lot of areas we haven't been able to address because of the lack of coordination. Thank you.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Those weren't really questions. Did you want the Minister to respond to the comments?
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 435
John Ningark Natilikmiot
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to cover three areas of concern in Natilikmiot. We don't have a renewable resource officer or an economic development officer in Pelly Bay. Having a person in the area of renewable resource management is essential for the community of Pelly Bay. We have a number of programs under this department which pertain to training, policy and planning. Fur management is very important for Pelly Bay. We have a number of people who are interested in getting involved with the commercial fishery.
Conservation education is equally important. That is not to say, Madam Chair, that people don't conserve when they are harvesting. People in my area are law-abiding people. By the same token, I think it is important to have someone in the community who knows the system, the programs; knows what is available to help the people when they are hunting and harvesting for subsistence use or to supplement their income.
When I talk about supplementing the income of community people in Pelly Bay, Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak, I'm talking about those people whose only income is from social assistance. The only means of income may be supplemented from hunting, may be derived from carving. The only income that may be supplemented by hunting may be from those people who have a part-time job. Harvesting in this area is very important.
Madam Chair, the Minister may recall during the 13th Assembly, a request came from the community of Pelly Bay for the government to put a person year in their community; a renewable resource officer. We had a meeting with representation from Pelly Bay and the honourable Minister. I believe we met with the Honourable Stephen Kakfwi to talk about the possibility of putting a renewable resource officer in Pelly Bay. Often, we have a person coming in from the community of Taloyoak but this is not often enough. We don't get regular visits from the renewable resource officer.
In order to enforce the regulations, under the laws of this government, in order to ensure people do not break the law under the jurisdiction, the domain of the Minister, people should be educated. There should be a person available within the community to talk to the people in the event that this person may not know what is happening in their community. At the appropriate time, I will be asking the Minister whether or not a person year will be included for Pelly Bay to conduct the enforcement, education, at cetera.
Madam Chair, I wanted to cover another area: Almost every year for the past five years, we have had polar bears coming into the community of Pelly Bay, in town, out of hunting season. There is more than one case in Pelly Bay when a nuisance bear has been disposed of, killed and the hide has been confiscated. People are able to live with that. I have talked with a few hunters who have had their fur taken from them. They know the regulations. They know when a nuisance bear is killed within the community in order to protect the lives of the people, if it is out of season, the fur will be confiscated. One thing they are not able to understand or live with is when the meat is confiscated. As I mentioned earlier, most people hunt to supplement their income. The income which is being supplemented might be social assistance or money made from carving. Meat is very important to the people of my area, especially for the elders. It is not often that enough people get to enjoy polar bear meat, only during the hunting season. If a bear is killed during the off-season, the meat may be confiscated. If a female bear is killed which goes beyond the expected quota, the meat is confiscated. We understand the laws, we understand the polar bear hide must be confiscated. We have no problem with this. However, when the meat is confiscated there is a problem in the community.
I believe it was the former Minister who I spoke to regarding this concern. I don't recall exactly what his response was. I believe he told me it was part of the policy regulations. Can the honourable Minister indicate to this committee and the people of Pelly Bay that when a polar bear is killed out of season, or if a female is killed which exceeds the number expected to be killed, could the meat be given to a hunter in order for the community to share the meat? This is very essential, especially in the fall. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 436
Committee Report 3-13(3): Standing Committee On Resource Management And Development Report On The Review Of The 1996-97 Main Estimates
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 436
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Madam Chair, if there is agreement from the local hunters' and trappers' association or the equivalent local community body, then we will do as the Member requests. Thank you.