by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 31/97) - The hiring of a Vancouver resident to oversee the government's community empowerment initiative has sparked debate on the government's committment to hiring Northerners.

Yellowknife MLA Roy Erasmus raised the issue Monday, when he asked if the assistant deputy minister position had been filled.

He said he anticipated the hiring of "a familiar face that communities can trust," noting empowerment has been regarded with suspicion.

Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Manitok Thompson (left) informed the house that a Vancouver resident, Graham Murchie, had been hired for the position.

"We did interview people from the territories ... but we hired the best person for the job," said Thompson.

Murchie has an honors BA, two masters degrees, a PhD and 20 years of municipal planning experience in British Columbia.

"I'm shocked and appalled the minister would hire somebody with not one minute of Northern experience and expect him to do that kind of work in less than 700 days," said Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger.

Thompson said advertisements run in Northern and western Canadian newspapers attracted 23 applications from Northerners and 37 from the south.

"What will the communities think when this person comes to consult with them and he doesn't know what Treaty 8 or South Slave is?" asked Erasmus on Tuesday. "This position should not even have been advertised in the south."

Members noted the snub to Northerners is made no easier to take by the fact that hundreds of Northerners have been laid off this year, and hundreds more will be laid off in 1997-98.

Penny Ballantyne, a MACA assistant deputy minister, said she oversaw the screening process.

Asked if she remains confident in Murchie's ability to do the job, Ballantyne responded, "If I had any doubts about his ability I wouldn't have hired him.

"Once Graham gets up here and has an opportunity to ... he will prove himself."

Ballantyne said four candidates were interviewed for the position, two from the south and two from the North.