Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise in the House to talk about the definition of consultation. In my office I have a file on timber permits and land use applications relating to logging within the boundaries of the settlement of Enterprise. In this file are letters from the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, its Minister and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board, stating that adequate consultation on the timber permit took place with the settlement of Enterprise. Also in this file are letters from the settlement of Enterprise stating that no such consultation took place.

Mr. Speaker, as the MLA representing the settlement of Enterprise I have no alternative but to take their concerns seriously and act upon them. I believe, Mr. Speaker, that the department and the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board acted within a narrow definition of the word consultation.

The Forest Management Division of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development referred the timber application to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board under Section 125(1)(b) of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act citing that they had identified potential public concern over the development.

The settlement of Enterprise was told that the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board would be holding public hearings in September of 1999. In late August, Mr. Speaker, the settlement of Enterprise was informed that a decision had already been made. The settlement had no opportunity to comment directly to the Impact Review Board. The department informed the board of the concerns of the settlement.

I looked in the Hay River Hub and I did find notices from the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board that the matter was referred to them and that they would be visiting the site of the proposed timber cutting. The notices I saw did not call for public submissions on the proposed timber cutting development. The notices did not ask for interested parties that wanted to participate in the site visit. All the notices said was that if you wanted more information, you could phone the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board in Yellowknife. This is consultation? Notices in a newspaper?

Mr. Speaker, the concerns of the settlement of Enterprise, the West Point Dene Band and the Hay River Reserve were dismissed by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board because it would not be fair or reasonable to delay the development while a timber inventory or policy was developed. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.