Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 02, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The punishment handed down to a senior bureaucrat for a sending a racist, sexist e-mail from his government office is angering women support groups in the territory.

Michael Hurst, director of Industry Canada in Yellowknife, was ordered to perform community service with three NWT women's groups after he was caught sending the e-mail in January, according to the NWT Status of Women Council, NWT Native Women's Association, and Centre for Northern Families.

The e-mail showed pictures of three younger, semi-naked non-aboriginal women next to an older aboriginal woman with the caption "pick Miss NWT."

The e-mail was sent to Hurst's hockey team.

In a press release issued Monday, all three women's groups complained that they weren't consulted beforehand, and none are inclined to accept volunteer work from Hurst.

"First of all, we have to have the public apology, which we understand Michael Hurst was willing to do but has been stopped from doing that (by Industry Canada)," said Lynn Brooks, president of the Status of Women Council.

"We don't want him in our offices for the simple reason that he is a well-known person in town, and women that have been abused come to our offices."

The groups propose that instead of volunteering in their offices, Hurst be allowed to work on a Status of Women Council pamphlet on racism and sexism that is being compiled in a private contractor's office. The groups said they will continue to demand that Hurst be fired until he and Industry Canada issue a public apology.

"Nothing stops (Industry Canada Minister Maxime Bernier) from stepping forward, and dare I say like a man, say this is racist and sexist behaviour and this government doesn't tolerate that," said Arlene Hache, executive director of Centre for Northern Families.

Andrew Hannan, a spokesperson with Industry Canada, said his department will not comment on the matter.