MLAs blast Globe story

NNSL (Mar 02/98) - Premier Don Morin blasted southern animal rights groups last week for taking exception to a wolf hunt in the area between Baker Lake and Great Slave Lake.

"We have very little respect for these tree-huggers from southern Canada who don't understand the reality of living in the Northwest Territories," said Morin.

The premier was responding to a story in Thursday's Globe and Mail in which the Animal Alliance of Canada said it was cruel to hunt wolves from snowmobiles.

"When Greenpeace was successful in killing the sealing industry our suicide rates doubled and tripled in some communities. They're so interested in protecting animals, they have no concern for people."

Morin ended his statement by wishing the hunters of Lutselk'e good luck in their hunting.

NWT Wildlife Minister Stephen Kakfwi called the Globe story "incredibly biased," and said it demonstrates a double standard southerners have toward wildlife.

"If we dropped a 100 wolves in Toronto tonight, they would be dead tomorrow, because there they are considered dangerous pests," said Kakfwi.

The Sahtu MLA noted the reporter who wrote the article only called him after the article was had gone to press.