MR. GRAHAM STEELE: Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Natural Resources. HRM residents have long used Long Lake Provincial Park as a place to walk their dogs off-leash. Because there are so few off-leash areas in the HRM, Long Lake Provincial Park, and especially the portion of it lying in my constituency, has become immensely popular with dog walkers, but a few weeks ago the Department of Natural Resources decided to start enforcing the leash law after many years of not enforcing it. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please.

[Page 1395]

The honourable member for Halifax Fairview has the floor.

MR. STEELE: Mr. Speaker, one e-mail I received spoke of armed DNR officers hiding in the bushes and jumping out to ticket dog walkers. (Interruptions)

MR. SPEAKER: Order, please. Order, please. The honourable member for Halifax Fairview has the floor.

Order, please.

MR. STEELE: I'm really glad to see the members on that side of the House find it hilarious when somebody is out walking their dogs and they're confronted by an armed enforcement officer, Mr. Speaker. My question to the minister, why has the department done an about-face on enforcement and turned Long Lake dog walkers into criminals?

HON. RICHARD HURLBURT: Mr. Speaker, through you to the honourable member, the regulations are for all provincial parks in our province and that includes Long Lake.

MR. STEELE: Mr. Speaker, the people who have contacted me do understand that the leash law is on the books. What they don't understand is why the department didn't enforce that law for 19 years and then, without any public consultation whatsoever, just woke up one morning and decided to start enforcing it. The park was designated in 1984, but there is still no park management plan. My question to the minister is, why did the department not wait until after public consultation on the park management plan before it decided to exclude one particular kind of park user?

MR. HURLBURT: Mr. Speaker, I'm sure that that member is well aware that our department did give warnings to residents using the park with their dogs off-leash and it is for public safety why that regulation is in place.

MR. STEELE: Mr. Speaker, if that's the case, maybe the minister could answer why his department didn't enforce the law for 19 years. The Department of Natural Resources is the steward of a vast amount of parkland and Crown land in the HRM. Long Lake could potentially be designated as an off-leash area but, if not, another area in HRM could be so designated. So my question to the minister is, what steps will the department take to work with dog owners to designate an off-leash area in the HRM?

MR. HURLBURT: Again, Mr. Speaker, the regulations are for all parks in our province. All provincial parks have regulations on them and dogs must be on leashes. It's for public safety and we will be enforcing that regulation.