Bill Braden

Mr. Speaker, thank you. My questions this morning are for the Honourable Brendan Bell, Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, and our Minister responsible for the tourism portfolio as relates to the difficulties now encountered by Aurora World Corporation and the GNWT's involvement in this corporation. I would like to ask the Minister what is the Government of the Northwest Territories' exposure in the difficulties encountered by this corporation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It might be a bit early yet, but from my experience in the tourism industry, now is when the sales teams should be out there filling the order books for the coming season. Given the trends in world tourism, in local tourism and the situation at hand, Mr. Speaker, what information could the Minister provide on the viability and strength of this industry going into the winter of 2004-05? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Minister for that response. I had asked what is the GNWT's exposure. There may be conditions in the business agreement that do not permit the Minister to disclose that. I would like to leave that question on the table, and further ask, Mr. Speaker, is the GNWT considering investing any new money in this corporation? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the last few days, we’ve been advised in the business community in Yellowknife of difficulties encountered by the Aurora World Corporation. This is the leading company, I believe, in Canada for the aurora winter viewing tourism industry, especially associated with the thousands of Japanese who choose to come to Canada in winter to view this natural spectacle. Mr. Speaker, in a previous life, in the late 1980s, I was involved in the tourism industry here in the NWT when this industry was just being created. It was a remarkable thing to watch professionals from the...

Mr. Speaker, has the Premier considered, given his knowledge of these steps and what’s involved, that an option that he has would be to ask Mr. Zoe to temporarily step aside from his duties so he could concentrate on this? Is this something that is relevant to the situation, a temporary absence from the portfolio? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, along the same lines of several of my colleagues on the issue of conduct and Mr. Zoe, indeed this is a serious matter as has been well acknowledged and it’s also an extremely difficult one for everyone in this assembly. You know, when a friend or a colleague has difficulty, one of the things that is incumbent on us as peers or co-workers or friends or neighbours is to do what we can to be supportive of another person who intends to get back on the right track in life. That is where I would like to be with our colleague, Mr. Zoe. In order to say that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to return to item number 7 on the order paper. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, specific to the residency criteria, could the Premier advise whether he is in any position to consider whether this half lifetime requirement for eligibility for hiring in our government is still acceptable in today’s human rights standards? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For many years, the GNWT has hired its workforce using a three-stage policy, based on race, residency, gender and ability. In a report filed in November of 1998, called the GNWT Report on the Affirmative Action Policy, the government of the day committed to examining at least one aspect of this, which was the residency condition under this policy. To date, Mr. Speaker, we are looking at about six years now. I am not aware of any changes to the definition of a long-term northerner under the affirmative action policy.

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Constitution does allow...

Mr. Chairman, I move that we report progress.