Environment committee  There are two means by which that takes place at present, and one is a work in progress. In the first instance, it's through wildlife management boards, which are, of course, established by land claims agreements. They have an equal responsibility for reviewing draft reports and

Environment committee  This is what I'm leading to for my second point. We have an aboriginal traditional knowledge, or ATK, subcommittee. It was established in 2001. It was only in 2007 that the ministerial appointments to the subcommittee were made. Since then, the subcommittee has made extraordinary

Environment committee  With all due respect, that question requires some context. For species for which ATK is vital, I feel it has been relevant. This is an ongoing process. Can it be improved? Absolutely. Mr. Chair, I don't mind responding to the previous question from the member if it would help t

Environment committee  It was declined at the end of February.

Environment committee  I will initiate one, but we will not be able to make a decision on it till November.

Environment committee  The initial letter regarding appointments was made in May of last year and we received a decision on it in late February of this year. We anticipate no change in the future. Even if we are able to reach a decision on a nominee in November, it might be yet another calendar year fo

Environment committee  Let me clarify what I wrote to the minister.

Environment committee  Let me clarify something you mentioned earlier. I did not criticize the minister's decision. One of the roles of COSEWIC is to advise the minister, so I would have said it was inadvisable.

Environment committee  You mentioned it, sir, in your opening remarks, in your preamble to that question, so I simply wish to clarify. Secondly, it was COSEWIC's perspective that I wished to have a meeting with the minister. I did not state verbally or on paper what I felt the ramifications were, beca

Environment committee  COSEWIC makes its decisions and evaluates potential nominees at its biannual species assessment meetings. The next one of those takes place in November.

Environment committee  The Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council is, of course, another body that must be consulted by the minister—

Environment committee  —as the act currently indicates. The intention here is to include COSEWIC along with CESCC in that regard. Presumably, in terms of a formal consultation, I would anticipate it would not require a great deal of time or effort under those circumstances where—

Environment committee  Well, it's your interpretation, and I've—

Environment committee  I suppose what I'm asking you to do is to consider this as a potential recommendation to deal with an issue that I feel is probably worth dealing with, from both a political perspective and from a COSEWIC perspective. There is another possibility the committee might consider, a