Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Supplementary, Mr. Robert McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to ask the Minister, many of the land claimant groups have clauses in their agreements as to the harvesting of caribou. I'd like to ask the Minister if those agreements take precedence over any legislation that we may introduce? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the management agreements or the land claim agreements are protected by federal legislation, and we certainly honour those agreements and we follow what's outlined in those agreements and have been with the co-management groups. Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask the Minister, if caribou were to reach a very critical point or point of no return, who would have the authority to ban the harvesting of caribou? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Michael McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There's a couple of ways it can be done. First of all, it can

be a decision made by the co-management group. There is also still authority within the government to make some of those decisions. The federal government has also some jurisdictions where if the herd became close to extinction, that they could make some decisions also. So there's a number of different ways that it could be handled, but for the most part we plan to work with the co-management group and the federal government so together we can make those informed decisions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Oral questions. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That's a very good question and it's not one I have, unfortunately, an answer to right now. I'll certainly talk with the department to go back and we can look historically at whether or not there have been any undertakings in that respect. I do know, and I'm glad the Member pointed it out, the muskox harvest, I think that's a very good example of where we've been able to work together with the Inuvialuit to create some opportunities. We've all seen the results of that muskox hair, the quiviq in the garments that are made. That's something that we're very proud of in the Northwest Territories and I think is a very good example of something that we should try to emulate in other areas if we can. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in stores and in various kinds of outlets you can buy deer hide that's commercially tanned. I'd like to suggest that deer aren't much smaller than a caribou, so if you can buy deer hide you should be able to buy caribou hide. When I was in Alaska recently also, they had commercially tanned reindeer hides with the fur still on; a beautiful looking thing that could be put on the back of a sofa or used as a bedside mat. I would like to ask the Minister if a proponent came forward with a proposal to process caribou hides in all different manners here in the Northwest Territories, would there be assistance or funding available to undertake such a venture? Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, that's certainly something that I think we would sit down and consider and talk about. We do have a BDF schedule that seeks to provide raw materials for those who are interested in arts and crafts so that they can purchase caribou hides, but I think to take the Member's point, if there aren't any hides to purchase, that is certainly of not much help. So it's something that we'd be prepared to talk about. I do understand that sometimes the caribou hides come in in not the greatest condition. That's something that we'd have to talk about. But if there's an opportunity and if we've got a proponent interested and they'd like to come forward with a submission, certainly it's something that we would take seriously. I agree with the Member that it is a shame to waste any part of the animal, and where there are value-added opportunities, we want to pursue them. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as time goes on there are less and less people in the Northwest Territories; it's a bit of a dying art, the traditional tanning of caribou hides. It's something extremely labour intensive and it's also something that not a lot of people know how to do anymore. Under the program whereby harvesters bring furs to the Northwest Territories which then go to auction in southern Canada, there's a lot of support for that. Is there any chance that caribou hides could be treated in a similar manner if we don't have a processing facility here right away, something that might be implemented in a more timely basis would be to collect these hides from harvesters and actually have them processed at a southern operation for now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, thank you. It's an interesting proposal and something that we could talk about. I'm not aware that there is caribou hide currently auctioned in the same way that we have these other hides, Mr. Speaker. But if there's a way that we can get this done, if there's a way that we can provide more raw materials for our arts and crafts sector, it is something that we are looking to give a boost to, so it's something that we would want to sit down and discuss the practicality of. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wasn't so much thinking about sending the caribou hides out to auction. I was more thinking sending to a central place where they could be processed, where they could be commercially tanned and then returned to the Northwest Territories. That might, as an incentive, require the government to set up some kind of a deposit where if hunters bring them in they get a certain amount of money, at least as an incentive and then perhaps some share of a future pot of money once the hides have been commercially tanned. I was thinking more of that kind of support. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. Mr. Bell.

Mr. Speaker, I take the Member's point. We've already established the policy line. We do support harvesters in this regard with the prime for a bonus, with the grub stake. It's certainly something that if we could expand it to other areas, such as the one the Member is proposing, I think it's something that has some merit and something that I'd certainly like to talk about. Thank you.