Race on to replace commissioner
Yk Centre MLA calls for female appointment to the job
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A retired MLA has said thanks but no thanks to becoming commissioner of the NWT.
Former Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro's name was mentioned as a possible replacement to current commissioner George Tuccaro whose term ends in May.
"I am not interested. I am honoured that people would think about me but it's a job and I just retired," said Bisaro.
"I don't want to work. I think there are other people who have better skills, so to speak, than I do in terms of knowing more people and are better known throughout the territory. There's an awful lot of strong women who could handle the job."
Bisaro said she would like to see a woman in the position as long as she is named to the position for all the right reasons.
"I wouldn't want to put a female in there just because she's a female," said Bisaro. "There certainly are women who could do it. I would want them to be considered along with males and pick whoever is going to do the best job."
The territory has had two previous female commissioners - Glenna Hansen who served from 2000 to 2005 and Helen Maksagak who was commissioner from 1995 to 1999.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green said the time is right to have a female commissioner once again.
"I recently asked people to help me generate a list of women who have the qualities associated with commissioner - warm and friendly, respected and respectful - and I got a huge response on Facebook," Green stated in an e-mail to Yellowknifer.
"Some of the 48 women on the list themselves offered the names of other women. There were women mentioned who live in every region of the NWT."
Green provided a list of women who she stated were mentioned to her at least three times each. They are: Gail Cyr, Sarah Jerome, Jane Dragon, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Margaret Thom, Jane Groenewegen, Sharon Firth and Nellie Cournoyea.
"The point of sharing this list is to demonstrate that there are many worthy women who are good choices for commissioner," stated Green.
She also said women are underrepresented in the 18th legislative assembly with only two female MLAs.
Green added that part of the mandate of the new assembly is to improve the representation of women in government.
Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne said there are many good candidates for the position of commissioner, both male and female.
"People like Nellie Cournoyea and Ethel Blondin-Andrew as it relates to women. Sharon Firth is another one I've seen posted to Facebook recently for consideration," Vanthuyne said. "On the male side - names like Jonas Sangris, a former chief of the Yellowknives Dene."
Vanthuyne said the only discussion about the commissioner's position thus far among MLAs has been about the need to put some names forward soon.
"MLAs are probably, during this break, going out and getting some insight from their constituents and then start giving the premier some feedback," Vanthuyne said. "It would be excellent to have a female commissioner."
Phila Fyten, spokesperson for the NWT commissioner's office, said Tuccaro has no public opinion on who should replace him, including whether the person should be male or female.
The final decision on who will be the next commissioner of the NWT will ultimately come from the federal government.
