Robert Villeneuve

Thank you, Madam Chair. Just to reiterate my support for the first Monday in November, I guess just so that all Members are aware that I know September 1st hunting season opens and usually goes right to the middle or toward the middle of October. So that’s totally out of line with what NWT residents would expect. Everybody is out on the land, and unless we can get the polling stations out on the land then I would go for the first week in October, but I still stand by the first week of November. Thank you.

As the 2004 affirmative action report gives us stats for the first round of the MAP program, of the 101 applicants, 26 were accepted into the program. Of these, seven were female, three were aboriginal and six were indigenous non-aboriginal. The remaining 10 that were not mentioned must fall completely outside of the affirmative action policy and it appears that there are no other indigenous aboriginal persons qualified for this program.

Mr. Speaker, given this information and the fact that we have some departments that have no indigenous aboriginal senior mangers like Aboriginal Affairs and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues.

WHEREAS the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act states the purpose of the establishment of boards by the act is to enable residents of the Mackenzie Valley to participate in the management of its resources for the benefit of the residents and of other Canadians;

AND WHEREAS the act provides that the chairperson of a board shall be appointed by the federal Minister from persons nominated by a majority of the board members;

AND WHEREAS the chair’s position for the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board is currently vacant and the board has...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, colleagues. Appointments to standing committees and board of management.

WHEREAS Robert McLeod has been elected as Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes;

AND WHEREAS a number of changes to standing committee and Board of Management appointments have been recommended by the Striking Committee;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that the following appointments be rescinded:

Mr. Robert Hawkins, Member for Yellowknife Centre, to the Standing Committee on Social Programs;

Mr. Robert Villeneuve, Member for Tu Nedhe, to the Board of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to deal with the motion I gave notice of earlier today regarding appointments to committees.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I give notice that on Monday, March 14, 2005, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for North Slave, that the Premier immediately communicate to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development the GNWT's and this Legislative Assembly’s objection to the appointment of a non-resident of the NWT, who is not nominated by the board members, as a chair of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will seek unanimous consent to deal with this motion today.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a petition from the community of Deninu Kue with respect to the operation of the health services in Deninu Kue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand that the assessment process also involves gathering of information from up to 15 peers. These 15 peers are allowed to provide some comments anonymously on a person’s application. To me, Mr. Speaker, this sounds like a very subjective process with no accountability. We have talked about transparency in the human resources department. Can the Minister explain that this is obviously a non-transparent process and what will he do to address the process of screening applicants to make it more transparent? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday when I asked the Minister responsible for the FMBS if he would consider striking the Affirmative Action Advisory Committee, he advised me that he was not willing to do this because, in his opinion, he did not want to interrupt the healthy and positive process that is currently underway and that he had an agreement with his colleagues at FMBS. Is the Minister suggesting that a plan put together by a few people in FMBS, who we still don’t know who they are, that has been approved by FMBS, should not be the subject of scrutiny by what I feel would...

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.