MLA requests privacy in probe of N.W.T. premier's affair
A Northwest Territories MLA who has accused Premier Floyd Roland of a conflict of interest by not disclosing his extramarital affair with a legislative clerk asked an adjudicator Thursday to keep the investigation out of public view.
Kam Lake MLA David Ramsay, a longtime critic of the premier, was one of six MLAs who earlier this year filed the complaint over Roland's initially secret relationship with Patricia Russell.
Sole adjudicator Ted Hughes, who has been tasked with investigating the complaint, will begin hold hearings in September.
But appearing before Hughes on Thursday morning, Ramsay asked him to bar the public from as much of the investigation hearings as possible.
"I don't see what benefit there is to airing all the sordid details in a public realm," Ramsay told reporters.
"Whichever way the sole adjudicator decides to go with, whether it's public or private, I mean, I'll be supportive of that. I mean, I'm not adamant one way or another, but my first instinct is to say that this needs to be conducted in a manner that's going to respect individuals."
Media outlets oppose private hearings
Ramsay said the investigation needs to respect Roland and his family. Roland no longer lives with his wife Shawna, with whom he has five sons and one daughter.
Roland's lawyer made no application to keep the investigation hearings private, but said it may be necessary to do so when certain evidence comes up.
The CBC and other media outlets oppose holding the hearings in private.
Hughes said he will hear the media outlets' submissions on the privacy issue on Sept. 8, before any evidence is heard.
Ramsay and the other MLAs allege that Roland and Russell's conduct compromised the confidentiality of their standing committee meetings, which Russell attended when she was a clerk.
"My concern is that the premier put himself in a conflict position, then didn't remove himself from that position or didn't remove his partner from that position," said Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro, one of the complainants.
Both Roland and Russell have denied those allegations.
Since the relationship was made public, Russell was moved out of the legislative assembly job but continues to work in government. She and Roland currently live together in Yellowknife.
'Absolutely convinced' hearings should be closed
Previous conflict-of-interest hearings in the Northwest Territories have been public.
Bisaro said she was not "absolutely convinced" the hearings in Roland's case should be closed to the public.
"I was a bit surprised to hear the counsel for Mr. Roland say that they're willing to have an open hearing," she said.
"If that's where Mr. Roland is positioned and he's OK with that, then I certainly would support him.