by Ian Elliot
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 09/98) - The spokesperson for sex-abuse survivors of Grollier Hall says he is disappointed with the GNWT's statement on residential schools last week.

Calling Premier Don Morin's statement "pretty weak-kneed, Lawrence Norbert said Friday Morin sounded like he had been under pressure from other GNWT departments to water down the message.

The former resident of Grollier Hall said the survivor's group would continue pressing the government for assistance and compensation.

"The most disappointing thing was that there were no funds identified in the statement for the victims," Norbert said last week. "I'm sure if it were a study on medevacs or corrections, the government would be able to find $800,000 for the two of them, but this is just an issue of healing survivors of residential schools."

Norbert also said he was disappointed that the government did not set aside a person or two to work with the survivors.

However, he did say that he thought it positive that the government has come on side with the Catholic Church and the federal government in acknowledging the abuse that took place in the schools and said the victim's group may present a proposal to the GNWT seeking more action.