Kevin A. Menicoche

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 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.

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.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. GNWT employees who are charged and suspended without pay is breaching Canadian common law of innocence until proven guilty. The GNWT, as an employer, must adhere to this principle of law.

In Canada, Section 11(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom states: “Any person charged with an offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.”

The presumption of innocence is the legal right of any accused in a criminal trial. The law in Canada applies to everyone...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to say, for the record, that motions are not taken lightly by Members of this House or the Priorities and Planning committee where the motion was talked about.

In closing, I would like to thank the honourable Member for Hay River North for seconding this motion and getting it into the House to talk about.

I am pleased to hear the Minister’s response with regard to taking it seriously and moving forward. Certainly, that’s where I want to go with this motion. It’s about considering it seriously. Let’s continue deliberations about the planning. I’m a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. WHEREAS the chair of the Stanton Elders’ Council has called upon the Department of Health and Social Services to include a wellness centre at Stanton Territorial Hospital to provide a blend of traditional Aboriginal and western medicine;

AND FURTHERMORE, that the government provide a comprehensive response to this motion within 120 days.

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.

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

---Unanimous consent granted

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...