Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement is on the recent appointments of southerners to high profile jobs, and in particular, on the recent job offer for assistant deputy minister to head the community empowerment initiative.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Mr. Miltenberger said he was appalled that a southerner had been offered this position. I, too, am appalled. I am appalled, shocked, dismayed, and ashamed. Yes, ashamed. Ashamed to be part of a government that would make a job offer of assistant deputy minister in charge of community empowerment to a southern person with no northern experience whatsoever.

Mr. Speaker, no doubt the person is a good worker, he has a good resume, and all the rest of that, but in this past year alone, we have laid off over 200 people in Yellowknife, and somewhere in the vicinity of 400 in the Northwest Territories. The Premier and the Finance Minister have indicated that we still have an affirmative action policy, but the Minister of MACA does not want to indicate that our department follows this mythical policy. This indicates to me that this mythical policy does not seem to apply to Cabinet. A Cabinet that is supposed to lead by example. What kind of example is Cabinet setting when, in the last year, they have hired three out of five high profile positions, they have hired people from the south. Mr. Speaker, the community people are already sceptical about community empowerment. I would have thought that they would have found a friendly, honest, respected face. No, we get a southerner with no northern experience to lead the charge on community empowerment. What will the community leaders think, when this person comes to consult with them, when he does not even know what Treaty 8 is, or the South Slave Region?

-- Applause

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