Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the past few days, I have been asking about the policies of this government. Policies that allow the widest interpretation and policies that can be circumvented it seems without repercussions. Mr. Speaker, as an elected official I have tried to ask questions in this forum to bring out publicly what privately many people in the Northwest Territories are asking. The problem with policy is that it can be followed and interpreted seemingly at the discretion of the user. That is not right. Legislation; however, like the Financial Administration Act has the penalties incorporated within the act.

The ethics policy has table outlines, guidelines and prohibiting work after a senior employee leaves the employ of the government. Mr. Speaker, that sounds good, but under the procedures, #18, states that an employee may apply to the chairman of the FMB to be exempted from any or all provisions of that section of the policy. Yes, Mr. Speaker, exempted. Than the question is, why have a policy if it is not enforceable or can be circumvented by writing the chairman of the FMB. Mr. Speaker, the policy is designed to prohibit, halt, nullify, negate and prevent an employee using information and contacts gathered at and one the job site and profiting from that information. However, the GNWT's policy has no teeth. It has no hammer, basically Mr. Speaker. It is a policy that has never been fully followed and interpreted very freely.

You may ask why this is a concern. Mr. Speaker, by questioning this government, we want to show that the public money spent for the public good, can be accountable. It has to be transparent and if there is a policy and it has been circumvented or very liberally interpreted than there should be a penalty or mechanism to make offender accountable and disciplined. That includes Ministers of this government and do I dare say, Mr. Speaker, the Premier himself.

Mr. Speaker, some Members seem perturbed by questions of accountability, transparency and responsibility. They would like these questions and the questioner to go away. Mr. Speaker, I am not Harry Houdini. I will continue to raise these public questions, publicly and hopefully, honourably. Thank you , Mr. Speaker.