Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 13/99) - Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew says the decision not to transfer Indian Affairs and Northern Development staff North is "reprehensible" and "unacceptable."

Blondin-Andrew says if industry can see the need to be on the ground in Yellowknife, so, too, should government.

"I think the minister (Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bob Nault) was duped by his bureaucrats," Blondin-Andrew said. She would not name names but suggested one of them is a senior DIAND bureaucrat who very recently visited Yellowknife.

"I'm talking about the people who advise him. I think we've been treated with contempt."

Wednesday, fellow Liberal Nault announced none of the Northern Affairs staff would be transferred North.

Nault said the jobs would instead make their way North through a program of devolution of powers to the territories.

"We were looking at between 15 and 20 (jobs coming North) as a starting point," Blondin-Andrew said.

"I don't understand how he cannot consider decentralization as a first step."

The NWT needs DIAND's Northern Oil and Gas Directorate staff to be NWT-based, not making decisions out of Hull, Que., Blondin-Andrew said, adding, this sector of the NWT's economy could be set to boom.

Blondin-Andrew said if industry can see the need to be on the ground in Yellowknife, so, too, should government.

She pointed to diamond companies like BHP, Diavik and Winspear, who have chosen to have people based in Yellowknife.

A spokesperson for Nault said of the approximate 100 DIAND staff who are based in Hull, about nine of them make up the oil and gas directorate.

Blondin-Andrew adds she made her feelings on this subject known to Nault.

"On top of being offended, I'm hurt. If this is the way we'll be treated we've got a struggle ahead of us."

Blondin-Andrew also took exception to the suggestion that staff might resign if asked to transfer North. A study on moving DIAND jobs North, done earlier this year by accounting giant KPMG, suggested there was considerable angst among DIAND staff about the prospect of moving and that many would not do so.

"Some of them said they'd rather be dead than move North. It's not about them," Blondin-Andrew said.