Ottawa (May 16/05) - Nunavut's MP says the dog slaughter issue will get its time in the House of Commons.

But Nancy Karetak-Lindell closed the talks on the subject to go on to other matters in Ottawa last week, a move that drew fire from Conservative MP Jim Prentice.

He accused Karetak-Lindell of trying to halt dog slaughter talks altogether.

Not true, said Karetak-Lindell in a phone interview with Nunavut News/North on Thursday afternoon.

"We have 10 days to get back to it," she explained of the rules and regulations governing the House of Commons.

"That doesn't mean I can't discuss (the dog slaughter issue) with the minister."

The minister is Anne McLellan, head of public safety.

"We did shut down debate," Karetak-Lindell said, but added the Conservative MP is making "misleading" statements about her decision.

Karetak-Lindell, who chaired the committee on the sled dog issue, said she thinks there should be a federal inquiry into why and how Inuit sled dogs were killed in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s.

It can't come soon enough for Iqaluit resident Sytukie Joamie.

While he admits he doesn't have much faith in politicians, he does think it's time Canadians knew what happened to Inuit dogs.

His own family's dogs were shot, and it is still a very painful memory for him, he says.

"My late father, Joanasie, was put in a position to finish killing one of his wounded dogs because the armed man ran out of ammunition and couldn't finish the assassination," Joamie said.

"I am not in tune with what Nancy or the parliamentary process is doing," he said.

"Each time there are a people who confront the politicians on issues that pertain to violations of human rights, the political machine tries to put the issue through a process where there is not too much negative publicity, and they take measures that make them appear they are trying to do something about it."

"It is the Canadian public that should be the target of our stories," he said. "It is the Canadian public that should be educated of what happened so that this is one major issue that won't be driven under the carpet."

The RCMP in Iqaluit has launched its own investigation in Inuit sled dog killings that most Inuit agree were carried out by RCMP officers.

That investigation is working separately from Karetak-Lindell's committee and will ultimately answer to McLellan.