Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say that this domestic violence death review committee motion, I certainly will be supporting it. As the motion states, and the mover of the motion as well, it’s just reviewing these situations. We’ll learn from them. It has benefitted many jurisdictions and I think it’s time for us to start doing that. Even though when you review it, it’s for a large, general population, but I believe it can work in the smaller communities as well. It’s about establishing and learning from the risk patterns that are out there and protecting our people as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I guess he’s calling it facilitation. Apparently there’s a process laid out. I guess the Dehcho is willing to go down the facilitation road or mediation road.

How does this process kick in, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.

I’m glad that Mr. Premier mentioned the whole area about facilitation and mediation. That’s getting back to the first question.

Does the Premier see a role for mediation when it comes to a perceived impasse as it were? Mr. Premier and Aboriginal Affairs doesn’t see it as stalled talks, so despite that, is it their way to get mediation happening, look at both sides’ positions and come to some resolution and try to continue to move forward with the talks? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much. I’d like to thank the Premier for that answer, but that’s not the position that the Dehcho First Nations has seen or had seen.

I’d just like to ask the Premier once again – I think on Monday I noted his great negotiation ability – does the Premier see a way to get back to the negotiating table? I know, like any negotiator, Mr. Premier of course doesn’t want to negotiate in the media, but he must have a way in order to continue the talks. Thank you very much.

Thank you graciously, colleagues. I spoke to the Premier in his role as the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs on Monday, but I’d like to ask Mr. Premier about the GNWT and the negotiating table for the Dehcho First Nations. I know that they haven’t actually been negotiating since January.

How does the GNWT intend to respond to the Dehcho First Nations for their request for mediation to resolve the current impasse to get negotiations back on track? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go to item 7, oral questions, on the Order Paper. Mahsi.

---Unanimous consent granted

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister thinks I’m trying to be specific, but I’m trying to be general about this. When it comes to treating employees fairly, it means treating them all fairly.

Why would we want to treat one employee more unfair than other employees, especially when he’s not management, he’s not an excluded employee and he’s fairly low level as an employee? So just generally, he’s sitting there, he’s the Minister of Human Resources, the law and natural justice must prevail and everybody must be treated equally, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Natural justice must prevail. I clearly laid out in my Member’s statement with regard to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that people are innocent until proven guilty, yet here the Minister is saying perhaps they are breaching a code of conduct. They’re actually not. It has to be proven in a court of law. I would like to cover off in other departments, Justice, maybe RCMP, people are actually not suspended without pay. They are delegated other duties in their department.

Why are we taking a hard-line position, especially when we’re not following any natural justice process? I think we’ve got to be fair to all our employees, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Earlier in my Member’s statement I spoke about the presumption of innocence, which means, of course, you’re innocent until proven guilty. I’ve got a scenario where an employee was actually suspended without pay, pending the court case. If there’s no policy or guidelines, how can this happen? Like, we’re an employer, we’ve got beautiful policies on maintaining and keeping and expanding on our employees, yet when somebody gets in a situation like this we suspend them without pay. How can this happen? I’d like the Minister of Human Resources to answer that. Thank you.