Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about this government's practices when it comes to employees and the affirmative action policy. Mr. Speaker, it has been unfortunate that this has been an issue that has been highlighted through numerous Assemblies and sessions and through Members who have come and gone raising issues around the affirmative action policy.

Mr. Speaker, there are legitimate times when the policy works and there are times when it does not work. We hear from sides that say it was a tool just to fill up a quota and people would feel that is how they were placed, and some people would take it as a slight in the sense of not being measured for their worth. Instead, they were measured for just a number to fit into a program. But there are occasions, Mr. Speaker, when we have individuals who rise through the ranks and in fact have proven beyond any doubt that they have managed to do things on their own, and the affirmative action policy is something that I do not think they really needed. But there are times when they feel that is the only avenue they have left because it is hard to get into the higher echelons, if you want to call it, of government, Mr. Speaker. It seems to be a very closed group in certain areas.

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to speak badly about anyone, people who are in the government who have put many years into their jobs to get to where they are. They deserve recognition for how far they have come. But there comes a time when we must measure ourselves in the sense of what we have achieved and what we are doing as elected leaders when it comes to those that do the work for us that we set here, Mr. Speaker. We are the ones that sort of set the pace because we set the laws of the land in a sense, and it is our staff that carry out these decisions. Sometimes our staff out there feel that they have no other opportunity but to raise their issues in a different circumstance because they feel they are not protected.

Mr. Speaker, I will have questions following this government's actions when it comes to dealing with employees of this government. When they make a commitment to an employee, why is that commitment not followed through with? Later on I will have questions for the appropriate Minister. Thank you.