Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in regard to the public perception of how a senior bureaucrat in this government can be out there campaigning for a federal party in a federal election, yet all other government employees in this government are restricted. I, for one, feel that is not fair. It is either we open it up for everyone, or we exclude everyone. Mr. Speaker, I feel that by doing this, we are jeopardizing our relationship with other parties in Canada and also the federal government's obligations and commitments that we have with them. Whoever we get in a federal election should not be interfered with by a senior person in this government. All of our employees cannot take part. Yet, Mr. Speaker, when we have territorial elections, federal elections, people know in our communities that you cannot be party to an election if you are a government employee.
Mr. Speaker, we have fought against the federal government on issues like gun control from this House. We have fought on issues in regard to the incremental cost for division against the federal government. Yet, we have not seen anything coming forth in that area. Other areas we have confronted the federal government on are in regard to the oil and gas and diamond industries and trying to antagonize them from putting money into these resources. To date, we have $3.7 million which, as we all know, comes from an aboriginal fund which is funded through Indian Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, we do not have an economic agreement with the federal government to date. Yet, our head chief of staff is running a campaign for the same government we have been fighting with for the last number of years over issues on behalf of the people of the Northwest Territories, with no outcome.
I know for a fact there have been other issues we have had to deal with in regard to the $100 million cut that we took in our transfer payment from the federal government, which is affecting the health care and the programs and services we deliver to the residents of the Northwest Territories. I, for one, do not feel this is fair to our employees. If we are going to do this for one employee, we have to do it for all of our employees. They are protected under the Public Service Act and we have to do something about that.
-- Applause