Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favour of Bill C-38, an act to amend the National Parks Act to include Tuktut Nogait in the schedule of national parks.
The proposed site for Tuktuk Nogait Park is close to Paulatuk, in the western part of Canada's Arctic. In 1989, the community of Paulatuk submitted to the federal government a conservation plan recommending that a new park be established to protect the calving ground of the Bluenose caribou herd.
In 1993 the federal government announced its willingness to establish a national park near Paulatuk. In 1996 the governments of Canada and the Northwest Territories, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, the Inuvialuit Game Council, the Paulatuk Community Corporation and the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee signed an agreement to establish a national park in the Inuvialuit settlement region near Paulatuk in the Northwest Territories.
The agreement also recognized the boundaries of Tuktut Nogait which represent approximately 16,304 square kilometres. It is also important to note that this area represents the Tundra Hill national region, an area not currently represented under the national parks system.
It is unfortunate that it has taken the government so long to bring in a simple piece of legislation that would see the establishment of Tuktut Nogait. In consequence, the government has delayed the creation of long term meaningful jobs and economic growth for the north.
As the members of the House heard yesterday, the Government of the Northwest Territories is reviewing a request by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to remove part of the lands agreed upon in the 1996 agreement. What we are talking about here is the removal of 415 square kilometres to permit mineral development within the core calving ground of the Bluenose caribou herd.
My party is not against mineral development but we cannot start carving out parts of our national parks to make mining companies more attractive to investors. The proposed reduction of Tuktut Nogait for mineral development would set a dangerous precedent for this park and other parks that are not protected under the National Parks Act.
I would like to remind the House that we are awaiting amendments to our ore legislation for seven other parks which represent 20% of the national parks system. I want to assure my colleagues that my party will continue its efforts to ensure that our natural heritage is preserved for our generation and generations to come.
We would hope this government would move more quickly in future, especially in light of its commitment of completing the national parks system by the year 2000.
In closing I want to congratulate all of the stakeholders for their ongoing efforts in establishing a national park in the Tundra Hill national region. I thank them for their contribution to the protection of Canada's ecological integrity.