Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think we need to go beyond that. Emergency crises in the community need to be really seriously looked into. Where I'd like to ask the Minister, can the Minister explain why the communities of Wekweeti, Gameti, and Whati don't have any backup generators for their airports as part of their emergency measures during these power outages? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, federal legislation doesn't require us to have backup generators in each community. Navigation Canada moved away from providing backup generators some time ago. The acceptable process is to use flare pots, and the flare pots are available in each of the communities that the Member has referenced and that is the acceptable process. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it has been brought to my attention, when I was visiting communities early February, that this became a bigger issue than what the Minister is outlining here. So I'd like to ask again, the Minister can commit to this House on the emergency plans, if his department can look into, he says there's federal legislation that we have to follow, but at the same time legislation can be amended, as well. Can the Minister commit in this House to look into emergency measures to deal with power outages in the communities that have identified to have a backup generator? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, each airport facility operates under federal legislation and is required to have an emergency plan. There are only four communities, I believe, that have backup generators and that's Yellowknife, Hay River, Inuvik, and Norman Wells. In the case of the smaller communities, the flare pots are the acceptable process and fall within the legislation that we are required to follow and that's what we use in the case of an emergency. We don't have a plan to put in emergency generators in any of these communities. In fact, the communities that had the emergency generators, in the case of Fort Smith, these were shut down and are being removed. Thank you.

Mahsi, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Lafferty.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand where the department is going with this, but, at the same time, I think we need to take into consideration the communities' concerns, especially coming from the chiefs of each community. This is becoming a problem in the community. More of a challenge in the community through, during the power outage when there's an emergency crisis really there is no means of air transportation. But he's saying that there's a backup. I'd like to find out, he's saying that, the Minister is saying really there are no plans in place to deal with the federal legislation, but I'm asking the department if they're willing to investigate further to look into the emergency backup plan where Yellowknife, Hay River, Smith or different major communities do have them. I think we need to recognize isolated communities. We are the communities, as well. I think the Minister should really look into that. Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Lafferty. Mr. McLeod.

Mr. Speaker, we are following the regulatory requirements under the Airports Act, the federal airports legislation. There is no requirement for this government to put in backup generators into the communities. We really don't have the resources to put in backup generators in the communities, in the airports, and we don't really have the resources to provide the maintenance and repairs this would all entail. So we don't have the investment that's required to do so. We have a plan that's acceptable to the federal government and that's the means that we are moving forward on this and providing emergency landing with flare pots. There is nothing wrong with that, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Referring back to my Member's statement today, I will have questions for

the Minister of ENR. Mr. Speaker, specific to the groups of GHL, resident, commercial harvesters, and non-residents, can the Minister tell us today, by breaking out individual groups, how many caribou each individual group takes yearly? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister responsible for ENR, Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we can tell you how many tags are given to the outfitters, how many resident tags we issue, and in terms of the subsistence aboriginal harvest, we don't have any clear numbers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Well, I personally think that's a shame that we don't know solid numbers of what we're talking about. So, Mr. Speaker, referring back to my Member's statement, I had spoken about a couple of options before we implement this strategy. So I'll name them quickly. First, let's get the real numbers out before we react. Second, let's create a strategy to have unused tags returned to the department as in a deposit or return fee. Third, let's create a progressive step so people can get a third and fourth tag at an increased cost. Would the Minister consider these as reasonable steps to consider before we implement this strategy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have the caribou strategy, which is a longer-term document. We have the interim measures, which as well speaks to some immediate actions that we're going to take. We already have committed and we have the resources to do the counts of the animals this coming spring/summer. As well, we're going to look at wolf predation and we will gather again in the fall when the information is in and we will see what other options possibly have to be looked at, once we know the numbers and if they've been verified or they've changed. I indicated when we started this process that these interim measures are not a singular event, but this is a process we're engaging that's going to be evolving in the coming months. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again the Minister has reaffirmed that we're implementing a strategy with...(inaudible)...nobody wants wasted meat, whether they're a GHL holder or they're a resident or a non-resident. Nobody wants to make honest people do dishonest acts, in case we hit a cow instead of a bull. Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister going to do when the mistake factor happens when someone either shoots a cow by accident or they shoot two caribou when they only have one tag? What are we going to do about the honest factor? Thank you. Honest mistake factor, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We do, in fact, have numbers. We have enough information that under the precautionary principle, we are compelled and I believe are compelled to act and err on the side of caution and conservation, which is what we are doing. In this process and time of transition of course, Mr. Speaker, we are going to recognize there may be some start-up glitches and an occasional case of mistaken identity. This is an issue of working with the users and the stakeholders to sustain the herds and to educate all the people involved on the new processes and we intend to approach it that way. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.