by Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 24/97) - Ethel Blondin-Andrew wants to change the status quo -- legally speaking.

The liberal member of Parliament for the Western Arctic and secretary of state for youth recently says the prime minister should a vacany on the Supreme Court of Canada with an aboriginal candidate.

The position opened early this month with the death of Ontario Justice John Sopinka.

"The Supreme Court of Canada has been around for 122 years and we've never had an aboriginal person sit on it before," Blondin-Andrew said.

She said that she feels the makeup of the court does not reflect Canada's multicultural population.

"The composition of the Supreme Court should not necessarily be geared to race but it should be representative," said Blondin-Andrew. "What I see is not very representative. I believe the composition does not speak to the diversity of the country."

Speaking from her home in Yellowknife yesterday, Blondin-Andrew said she wants Justice Minister Anne MacLellan to rectify the situation by appointing Harry LaForme, a judge with the Ontario Court of Justice, a superior court equivalent to the NWT's Supreme Court.

Laforme has been practising law in Ontario for 18 years and has sat as a judge since 1994.

"No one can say Harry's not qualified because he hasn't been in the Appeal Court. Justice Sopinka, who was outstanding, never served a day in the trial division in the superior courts so there are precedents set already," said Blondin-Andrew, the minister of youth.

Sopinka took his spot in the high court despite not meeting the usual requirements.

Blondin-Andrew is hopeful that her efforts will meet with success. "I'm always optimistic. I am confident that one way or another, and it's not necessarily this time, and I'm going for this time, but this will not be the only battle I fight on this issue."

Since entering the world of politics and lobbying in 1988, Blondin-Andrew has seen changes made concerning aboriginal lawyers and judges across Canada.

"Up until 20 years ago, we only had 14 aboriginal people who had been called to the bar and that's because under the Indian Act, they would have to give up their treaty rights to become a member of the bar. This didn't work as an incentive."

She said there are now more than 300 aboriginal lawyers across Canada but still only a handful of judges and justices. Blondin-Andrew wants these lawyers to begin pursuing bench positions in the higher courts.

"Where we have aboriginal people, we should be moving them up to the next level."