Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this issue for the ferry services is regulated by the federal government under the Canadian Labour Code, and they are the government responsible for this whole issue of dispute.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I would like to know what this government is going to do in terms of getting the ferry service back up and running, Mr. Speaker. We have got at least three weeks or at least another month worth of sailing time, as it were, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I indicated earlier, the Department of Transportation plays no part in the negotiations. Our obligation lies with the contractor that is hired to provide a service and we are not planning to intervene in any form at this time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I was just wondering, is it not our duty to the public as well as the traveling public, and I would like to know if the Minister is looking at a continuation of our services for the ferry in Nahendeh. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Of course this government is very disappointed the two sides were not able to come to a settlement on this issue. The government will continue to monitor the situation and look at the options available. However, at this point we will just be monitoring the situation and not providing any other alternative service. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I spoke of the dangers that the bison are posing for motorists on Highway No. 3. I strongly advocate for the need for a strategy to deal with this public safety issue. Public safety is a huge issue. Can the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources inform the Assembly whether his department has a strategy in place to deal with the bison on Highway No. 3? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue of concern to the Department of Transportation as well as Energy and Natural Resources. There is work being done in terms of public education, better signage, trying to determine exactly from a scientific point of view if there are specific things that attract the bison to the road right-of-way. Extra money has been requested and put into the budget to, in fact, start that work. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the department is working closely with the Department of Transportation. Can the Minister also commit on working with the local Behchoko community government to deal with the bison issue? Will there be a harvesting of them or putting florescent tags on them so they can be reflective; also, initiating rubber bullets for discouraging them from going onto the highway, Mr. Speaker? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are issues with the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary, not only on Highway No. 3, but issues with the community of Fort Providence in terms of the buffalo in the community. We are very interested and will be taking steps to work with the local community governments to look at what options there are to try to deal with the issue of the bison, both on the road right-of-way and other areas of concern with this herd.

We have already tried rubber bullets in the past, I understand. It has a very short-term effect. The issue of some type of harvest is one we would have to look at and discuss, both with the department and the involved community governments, which we would be interested in and willing to do. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell me the timeline on the development of a strategy to deal with the bison on Highway No. 3, especially with respect to harvesting from the community's perspective? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to quickly point

out as I respond to this question that the issue of wildlife and road accidents is one that is an issue across the country. In Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, they estimate over $1 million in each of their jurisdictions as a result of collisions with wildlife; and the fundamental responsibility still is with the driver of the vehicle.

With regard to the Member's specific question about when, we have already started work on a number of the areas we've already talked about and we are willing to sit down as soon as it can be arranged, both with the community governments and involved parties in Behchoko as well as Providence. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty. Thank you. Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Great Slave, Mr. Braden.

Merci beaucoup, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions this afternoon are for the Minister of Justice, and they are in relation to community policing in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has a responsibility for contracting with the RCMP to deliver policing services across the Northwest Territories. The Yellowknife detachment has, for years, been recognized as chronically understaffed. The city has grown considerably and the complexity of crime and policing has also grown. I would like to ask the Minister, from his point of view, what progress has been made or what steps are underway right now to enhance police presence in the Yellowknife RCMP detachment. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Braden. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Bell.