Nunavut ex-premier violated Integrity Act: report
Okalik slammed for soliciting donations from government officials
Last Updated: Friday, November 27, 2009 | 2:23 PM CT
CBC News
Paul Okalik, seen on the night of the October 2008 Nunavut election, says a recommendation that he be reprimanded and forced to apologize to the legislative assembly 'is nothing to me.' (CBC)Former Nunavut premier Paul Okalik has been found to have violated the territory's Integrity Act for soliciting donations from some deputy ministers during his re-election campaign last year.
In a 20-page report tabled in the legislature on Thursday, Nunavut integrity commissioner Norman Pickell said Okalik was still premier during the campaign leading up to the territory's Oct. 27, 2008, general election, so it was inappropriate for his team to seek financial donations from deputy ministers during that time.
The premier appoints those deputy ministers and has the final word on the level of their performance bonuses.
Pickell's report recommends that Okalik, still a sitting legislator, be reprimanded by the legislative assembly and that he acknowledge and apologize for his wrongful conduct.
"I can't really comment while it's before the assembly, and I look forward to having a good discussion on it," Okalik told CBC News on Thursday in response to the report.
"The recommendation is nothing, so what can I say? I'd rather focus on my work."
Okalik was re-elected as MLA for Iqaluit West, but he lost the contest for the premier's job to Eva Aariak.
'If he doesn't care about the integrity of the institution and our legislation, I think that says a lot.'—Hunter Tootoo
The integrity commissioner's review began after Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo filed an official request for one shortly after the election.
Tootoo, who is now a cabinet minister, said he will call for legislation changes to ensure there is no conflict of interest between the premier and senior staff during election campaigns.
Tootoo said he is satisfied with Pickell's report, but disappointed with Okalik's response.
"I think it's called an Integrity Act for a reason," Tootoo said outside the legislature on Friday. "If he's breached it, if he doesn't care about the integrity of the institution and our legislation, I think that says a lot."
Letters 'tailored'
According to the report, Okalik was aware that his campaign team was sending letters to some deputy ministers asking for donations.
Each letter was addressed to a specific person and was signed by Nadia Ciccone, Okalik's financial agent at the time, Pickell said.
Pickell said he accepted as fact Tootoo's allegation that the letters were "tailored," with different financial amounts listed on each one, "so that if any of the deputy ministers went public with the letter, at least Ms. Ciccone would know who it was," the report states in part.
Pickell said he was not suggesting Okalik would have misused his power as premier at the time to discipline or fire any deputy ministers who did not contribute money to his campaign.
But Pickell also said he didn't believe the public would tolerate the premier soliciting money from deputy ministers.
Public embarrassment
The report notes that Okalik has already suffered public embarrassment since the campaign letters were made public several days before the election.
"I am sure that once this report is made public, Mr. Okalik will again suffer some public embarrassment," Pickell wrote.
If Okalik does not apologize within five sitting days of the legislative assembly approving Pickell's findings, the commissioner recommends that Okalik's right to sit and vote in the assembly be suspended without pay or allowance until he does.
"My job is to represent the good people of Iqaluit West and Nunavummiut, and I'll continue to do that, and that's my focus at the moment," Okalik said.
"This report is nothing to me."
