Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This past December and January I attended public meetings for consultations on the Wildlife Act. The presentations were excellent and thorough but I came away with concerns for the act; concerns that were strengthened by submissions by a number of NWT organizations.
I want to start by saying that I appreciate the efforts of the Minister and the staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for their work in the development of the act over these lo many years and for the presentations and consultations that are recently concluded.
I will not comment on the consultation process. The Minister has heard people’s concerns about that already. I do have to comment on the act, in light of what I’m hearing from constituents.
The new Wildlife Act is long overdue but the draft act, as presented during the recent consultation process, is not ready for first reading without some amendments. Firstly, there are a couple of requirements in the act which will force airlines to contravene Transport Canada regulations, and that they cannot do.
Secondly, I have major concerns with the proposed membership of the Conference of Management
Authorities. We’re told that any interested non-Aboriginal residents are represented by the GNWT, but in reality that’s not adequate. We’re told that the conference membership must be limited to agencies who have a legal responsibility for wildlife management, but if that must be, then identify several ex-officio, non-voting members from interested organizations: the Chamber of Mines, or Chamber of Commerce, or the NWT Wildlife Federation, for instance. We must be inclusive as a government and we must be seen to be inclusive.
Thirdly, NWT businesses are concerned about the powers identified in the act to establish conservation areas, particularly the mining companies. There is little in the act that speaks to an NWT that protects and manages wildlife and also allows and encourages economic development. There must be language added to the act which expresses the philosophy of sustainable development.
Lastly, many, many people have indicated their concern with the unidentified content of some 250 or more regulations that will govern the new act. The department must be more forthcoming about the content of these numerous regulations.
I’m heartened by the assurances given to Members at a recent briefing on the act. What I heard is that a number of changes will be made to the draft act prior to its presentation to the House and I commend the Minister and his staff for recognizing that change was needed. It is imperative that the department’s response to the consultation be shared with everyone who submitted comments, with the general public, prior to the first reading of the act.