“I think it’s fair to say that within our open terms of reference around the advisory group… the prime minister asked the group to consider the diversity of the country and look at potential candidates representing that diversity,” LeBlanc In the CBC interview that aired on Saturday, house.

The minister pointed out that Inuit Centipede President Natan Obed (Natan Obed) is a member of the advisory panel.

“And I think it’s fair to say that we are not insensitive to the importance of considering indigenous candidates,” he said.

This mainly ceremonial deputy throne has now been vacant for more than four months. Former astronaut Julie Payette resigned in January after an independent report stated that she had hosted a toxic workplace in Rideau Hall.

The third-party review was triggered by reports by CBC News citing more than a dozen confidential sources who claimed that Payette and her former chief of staff, Assunta Di Lorenzo, had abused employees.

The government is eager to avoid another appointment ending in a disastrous defeat, so this time it conducted a more extensive background check on potential candidates than usual.

LeBron admitted in an interview that he was ahead when he told CBC in January that it would only take a few weeks to find Payette’s successor.

“The good news-we have considered dozens of potential names-the good news is that our work is basically complete, and we are summarizing the normal background security checks I hope for the last week or so. The review will be conducted by senior government officials,” he Say.

“So we are very confident that when we provide the Prime Minister with the short list he asked us to prepare, all these important and necessary inspections and review procedures will be completed.”

When asked how many names were on the shortlist, LeBron refused to confirm and joked that the number was between one and ten.

Canada has never had an aboriginal governor. Some observers have said in the past that such an appointment would be an important symbolic gesture.

Others, including the aboriginal writer Robert Jago, when he appointed Payette in 2017, retorted that with so many indigenous issues still unresolved, the appointment of indigenous people was nothing more than a facade. .

Last month, New Zealand appointed its first indigenous woman as governor. Dame Cindy Kiro, a well-known child rights advocate, is the third Maori to hold this position. The first, Sir Paul Reeves, was appointed in 1985.

Following this week’s reports of undocumented deaths at Kamloops Indian boarding schools and calls for Ottawa to implement the national recommendations more quickly, the federal government is now under tremendous pressure and needs to make some progress in official reconciliation with the indigenous people. Investigation of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

The chief commissioner of the investigation, Marion Buller, said: “It’s been a long time since the indigenous governor, and she added that she believes the public will support such an appointment.”

“I think it will make a difference because that person will have the opportunity to clarify the aboriginal issues in Canada and become a bridge for new relationships.”

Since taking office, Trudeau has pledged to rebuild relationships with the indigenous communities and take steps to achieve meaningful reconciliation.

LeBron told house The events of the past week are one of many disturbing and difficult moments in this journey.

“Obviously, people’s awareness has increased,” he said. “A diverse government should have long considered the diversity of this country, including the contributions of outstanding Canadians from the Aboriginal community, who can take full responsibility for leadership positions in the public and private sectors.”