Debates of March 10, 2005 (day 53)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in follow-up to my questions and comments in the House yesterday regarding the appointment of a chairperson for the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, we heard on the 5:30 news that our concerns were too little, too late; the appointment was made and announced.

Shame! Shame!

This is the second time that I am aware that an appointment of a chair has been made to a very significant board and the nominations of the board itself have been ignored.

Mr. Speaker, what is the point of having establishment policies and rules surrounding these appointments if they can be so easily and callously set aside? Mr. Speaker, this is about far more of the appointment of a non-resident, non-nominated chair to a powerful federally appointed board. This is about a lack of respect for process…

Hear! Hear!

It’s about a lack of respect for the people who sit on our boards and represent us on decisions around development and it’s about lack of respect for the North and its people.

Hear! Hear!

Mr. Speaker, I thought we had moved beyond the days of colonialism and Ottawa knows best. We talk about political evolution, devolution of authority and powers. It’s a sad day in the life of the Northwest Territories when blatant political patronage and disregard for process is handed down to us from some Liberal, crony, retread Minister who, to my knowledge, Mr. Speaker, has never even stepped foot in the Northwest Territories since becoming the Minister responsible for Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

Maybe Mr. Scott would like to appoint the Premier and the MLAs too, and I could be sure I wouldn’t get reappointed.

---Laughter

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, we get our hopes up that we are on the federal radar, that they care about the input and aspirations of northerners and then something like this.

Well, Minister Scott is coming to Yellowknife next week and he wants to have a town hall in our Great Hall. The media suggested he might get a cool reception. I think we should give him a warm reception right on the hot seat where he belongs…

---Applause

Hear! Hear!

…to give account for his actions. How disrespectful that we found out about this appointment on the news. I guess it was more important to call the CBC than it was to call our government and discuss this appointment.

Shame!

Mr. Speaker, I invite as many northerners as possible to show up at Mr. Scott’s town hall and tell him what we think. He will have our MP, the Minister of Northern Development, sitting right beside him and maybe it would be a good time to also ask her if she still represents the constituents of the North who elected her. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause