Andrew Raven
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 27/05) - Two Yellowknife MLAs criticized the territorial government Wednesday for its decision to transfer a home for troubled children from the capital to Hay River, calling the move blatant political gamesmanship.

Seventeen full-time and six-part time jobs will be affected by the move of the Territorial Treatment Centre, which is currently home to eight children with severe behavioral disorders.

When its contract expires in 2006, the program will be transferred into a vacant young offenders facility in Hay River. The building was closed earlier this year by the Department of Justice, taking with it 15 full-time jobs plus casual positions.

"This is a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul," said Range Lake MLA Sandy Lee.

"The government should not use people's lives for payoffs and paybacks."

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay also said the decision was probably motivated by politics and "a case has not been made" to transfer the program.

The decision was difficult but necessary, said Health and Social Services Minister Michael Miltenberger, given the age of the current building and the government's "willingness to decentralize services."

Employees are upset by the closure, said Alan Bowerman, program director at the treatment centre.

"People like working here," he said Thursday. "This is a really good staff."

The program is run by Bosco Homes, a private contractor.

The health department would try to accommodate some of the workers "to minimize personal disruptions," Miltenberger said.

But Bowerman said employees are hesitant about a possible move to Hay River. "There is no for sale sign on my house," he said.

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden -- whose riding is home to the treatment centre --drew fire from some employees after he told Northern News Services last week he was a "supporter" of the move.

"I find it both appalling and insulting that an individual who is in a position to represent the best interests of Yellowknifers would make such bold, unfounded statements," counsellor Amanda Rumbolt wrote in a letter to Yellowknifer. "Who (is) representing the best interests of the staff?"

Braden backtracked from those comments somewhat Wednesday, saying he had approached the issue from a territory-wide perspective -- but would be open to discussing the closure with staff members.