Thank you, Mr. Speaker and thank you, Members. These jobs require different skills and many aboriginal people are still gaining these skills necessary to be successful in the office environment. Instead of trying to set goals that lead to frustration and a perception of failure, let us celebrate the advances aboriginal people have made. Let us encourage them to get an education and acquire the skills necessary to be successful in government jobs and in that environment. Policies such as affirmative action cheapen the value of jobs earned on merit. Jobs earned on merit provide a sense of pride and independence.
Mr. Speaker, the Affirmative Action Policy puts aboriginal people down. It tells them they are not good enough to compete without government protection. This is totally wrong. Mr. Speaker, I believe we should scrap the Affirmative Action Policy. As northern people become more educated, they will be ready and able to compete for the jobs available. We will have a workforce representative of the general population as people gain more skills. The Affirmative Action Policy has proven it will not help us get there faster. This government, nor any other, can have on its books a policy that is as divisive and destructive as the Affirmative Action Policy has been and still is. It will continue to divide northerners as long as it remains in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause