Jason Unrau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Aug 05/05) - During his rookie season in Yellowknife, Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod has come out a little wiser but still willing to speak his mind on the issues.

Twin Lakes MLA Robert McLeod

From criticizing the Deh Cho for holding up the pipeline process to slamming the housing corporation in the legislative assembly, McLeod has not minced many words during his first eight months in territorial politics.

"I've had to temper my thoughts, you know, be more diplomatic," said McLeod from the constituency office he shares with his assistant Meeka Kisoun. "I think people voted for me because they know I'm a guy who's going to tell it like it is. Some appreciate it and some don't."

According to Hansard from the May 26 session of the legislative assembly, McLeod made the following statements.

"One group is holding the future of the pipeline hostage while they try and negotiate their land claim settlement. This group already has two pipelines from their settlement areas going south. We didn't try and hold them up in their development because it would not have been fair. Now I think we deserve the same respect."

McLeod told the Drum he was actually surprised he didn't get more negative feedback when he made those comments.

"I really thought I was going to get some flack for that," he said. "I got some good-natured ribbing from my Deh Cho colleagues."

As for his thoughts about how the $500 million worth of federal money for social impacts of the proposed pipeline should be handled, McLeod says the territorial government has to be involved.

"The GNWT knows where the money is needed in all 33 communities because we all hear about the problems and because the GNWT represents the whole of the territory," he said, noting that some want to see fund the administered directly by aboriginal groups.

Mayor of Aklavik

McLeod would like to see that money spent on early childhood education, drug and alcohol rehab and training. "People up here can be anything they want to be," he said, adding that since his first political stint as mayor of Aklavik when he was 27, more aboriginal people have moved into higher-profile positions in the workforce.

"If you want to go to school, the government will look after you pretty well. If you want to be a doctor they will support you all the way."

"I tell the kids the pipeline is coming," he said. "Do you want to be the ones digging the ditches or the one's telling people where to dig?"

"It is very frustrating to hear so much emphasis placed on the offenders and their needs. We seem to spend a lot of time talking about what we can do for them, how we can help them and how we can accommodate them by keeping them close to their families and about their culture. Mr. Speaker, if they cared so much about their families and culture, they would be taking responsibility for their actions and staying out of trouble," McLeod stated during the Mar. 3 session of the legislative assembly.

McLeod made no apologies for these remarks and brushed off comparisons to his conservative minded colleagues south of 60.

"In fact, I'm the furthest thing from it," he said. "Every year Inuvik's Transition House (women's shelter) is having to fight for funding and wait for funding. It's time for government to step up and take care of their needs."