Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (May 13/02) - Senator Charlie Watt says he is optimistic Inuit will have access to more culturally appropriate firearms regulations by the middle of June.

One of Quebec's representatives in the Canadian Senate, Watt made the comments while discussing negotiations underway between the Inuit Working Group and the Canadian Firearms Centre.

Watt formed the group last year in response to Inuit complaints about difficulty complying with the new Firearms Act. He brought representatives from the country's Inuit regions together and formed a comprehensive list of complaints.

Then justice minister Anne McLellan supported Watt and his undertaking and gave him $155,000 to work with.

A draft memorandum of understanding outlining culturally appropriate adaptations to the law was drawn up and handed over to Firearms Centre officials for review.

That's where the trouble began.

"It's fair to say we felt we'd made considerable progress until the new year," said Lorraine Brooke, a consultant hired by Watt to head up the working group.

"We had a draft MOU and it was distributed to all the regions and we received the approval to proceed ... but legal and operational people (at the centre) raised questions about the approaches we were taking," said Brooke.

Because the negotiations are still going on, Brooke would not comment on the nature of the question raised by centre staff.

The initiative looked as if it would be derailed or significantly delayed, but a recent meeting between Watt and the new justice minister, Martin Cauchon, has group officials breathing easier.

"I'm still optimistic we'll be able to rectify matters. I've met with the minister of justice and I'm looking forward to concluding the agreement by mid-June," said Watt, from his home in Kuujjuaq.

"That's the target we're heading for and we're still heading in that direction," he said.

Brooke said the goal is to try and get the Inuit adaptations in place before the issue lands in a courtroom.

NTI is suing the federal government on the basis that the firearms legislation violates Inuit harvesting rights outlined in the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

John Merritt, who has worked for NTI's legal department for more than 20 years, said a hearing date has not yet been set for the suit.