Browes bumbles first official visit

Northerns have doubts about new Minister's abilities

Page 1

Newly appointed Indian Affairs and Northern Development Minister Pauline Browes spent much of her first official visit to the Northwest Territories trying to reassure Northerners she can handle her new portfolio.

Just over two weeks after being appointed, Browes met with the NWT cabinet in Yellowknife and attended the ceremony marking the royal assent of the Nunavut land claim in Coppermine.

Browes, a 55-year-old grandmother who represents the Toronto-area riding of Scarborough Centre, is best known for lobbying to have the Rouge Valley in Ontario preserved as a wilderness area.

At a news conference in Yellowknife, Browes was asked if she felt qualified to run the department since she is neither Native nor Northern.

"Well, I am a Canadian," she replied. "In the political and democratic process that is set up in Canada, people from a variety of backgrounds (play a role in Cabinet.)"

Browes grew up in a farming community north of Toronto. She believes having lived in a small place and having experience in health and education issues will help her.

Browes said she supports the extinguishment of Aboriginal rights as a condition of settling land claims.

"I think when you're establishing any agreement that you want to have certainty between the two parties."

Rights over land must be very clear, she said.

The minister has lobbied for the return of the death penalty. She was asked how she could reconcile that view with Aboriginal groups pushing for a justice system that is less punishment-based.

"I believe in law and order," Browes said. "I believe in people abiding by the laws of Canada. I believe that's the only way of having a civilized country."

Browes said the justice system had to be more creative and find ways to "get people back into the community." When pressed on how that could be done, she suggested reporters read a report by the Standing Committee on Justice.

Browes said she wanted to promote Northern Development, including a possible deep-water port on Coronation Gulf at Coppermine. The minister confessed she'd been

fascinated" by the North after hearing former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker talk about northern development when he was in power.

Some Native leaders were not, however, impressed when the new minister said

the federal government does not recognize the inherent right of Aboriginal peoples to self-government.

Members of the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (ITC) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) both walked out on the meeting with federal, provincial and territorial officials in Inuvik, July 15.

ITC spokesperson Rosemarie Kuptana and AFN regional chief Wendy Grant both said they were outraged that Ottawa has retreated from its commitment to Aboriginal peoples.