Shame.
Madam Speaker, this government had an opportunity to provide political direction if the Minister had decided that the 1988 games should be awarded to Inuvik. The Arctic Winter Games International Committee, before considering either bid, asked MACA whether they wished to provide political direction on the awarding of the 1998 games and were apparently told no. The international committee was told by MACA to evaluate the bids without any bias for one location over another.
Madam Speaker, once a decision has been announced, for a deputy minister to suggest that our representatives should resign in protest is a shabby way to divert the heat, heat that the Minister obviously expected over the decision, away from herself. If the Minister is not happy with the Arctic Winter Games International Committee's decision, she has no one to blame but herself, and should not have directed her deputy minister to suggest to Mr. Cooper and Mr. Legaree that they resign.
Madam Speaker, Mr. Cooper has dedicated 10 years of volunteer service as director and, most recently, president of the Arctic Winter Games Corporation. Mr. Legaree was a director for four years and, I understand, very active in helping Inuvik prepare their bid for the games. Have we heard any thanks from the government for their dedication and time served? No. Instead, we hear the government suggest they resign in a political gesture.