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May 22, 1998 VIA FACSIMILE 356 1124 The Hon. Dale Lovick Dear Sir: Re: Alec Robertson I am writing to express our deep disappointment in how your government decided to handle the tenure of Mr. Robertson. Our concern is two-fold. First, your government demonstrated appallingly poor judgement by, in effect, firing a person who is very critical to a constructive realignment of the treaty process in light of Delgamuukw. Having watched the treaty process very closely over the years, we were continuously impressed with Mr. Robertson’s ability to keep the negotiations proceeding in a fruitful manner, in spite of contrary views. Mr. Robertson’s presence in the current realignment debate is critical. Our second concern is even more troubling. Your cavalier treatment of Mr. Robertson is, to say the least, very disturbing at a human and personal level. Your government’s insensitive handling of the matter is something which a public servant such as Mr. Robertson does not deserve. You miss the point entirely when you stated in the Assembly yesterday that Mr. Robertson’s concerns are attributable to his status as a disgruntled ex-employee. Mr. Robertson’s sole interest has been in creating a constructive process. At the very least, you and your government should apologize to Mr. Robertson for this insulting treatment. As you know, the Aboriginal Rights Coalition (Victoria) has frequently endorsed government treaty initiatives. However, events such as the current government’s mishandling of the Mr. Robertson’s tenure confirms our growing suspicions that the provincial government is losing its interest in settling land claims. Sincerely, Waldemar Braul
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