The speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories promises a plan to address workplace concerns in the clerkSA国际影视传媒檚 office before Christmas.
Frederick Blake Jr. sent a SA国际影视传媒渓etterSA国际影视传媒� to NWT residents to media outlets Dec. 10.
It said he has been working with MLAs on the Board of Management, caucus as a whole and clerk Tim Mercer to address the concerns raised in the report issued by Quintet Consulting. Implementing those changes will be what the action plan is all about, according to BlakeSA国际影视传媒檚 letter.
SA国际影视传媒淐onsultations with staff were delayed by the COVID-19 outbreak at the legislature and the delayed sitting of the House,SA国际影视传媒� Blake wrote. SA国际影视传媒淭hey will continue this week and next, and it is my intention to release the Action Plan before Christmas. Its implementation is a priority for me, the Board of Management and the Clerk.SA国际影视传媒�
Among those issues include how the legislature will implement findings from this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 Quintet Consluting Corporation workplace review and investigation into MercerSA国际影视传媒檚 office.
Blake addressed the four complainants who were investigated in noting that three of them - former Tu Nedh茅-Wiilideh MLA Steve Norn, former chief electoral officer Nicole Latour, and former assembly employee April Taylor - were dismissed.
However a fourth, unnamed complainant was found to have had substantiated complaints against the office.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Board, the leadership of the Assembly and I have accepted (QuintetSA国际影视传媒檚) findings,SA国际影视传媒� Blake said. SA国际影视传媒淲hile the report said positive things about the leadership and work environment at the Legislative Assembly, it also identified issues and made recommendations to improve the workplace. Some of these recommendations were addressed to Members (of the Legislative Assembly) themselves.
Fourth Quintet complainant
Blake apologized for a delay in responding to the fourth Quintet reportSA国际影视传媒檚 complainantSA国际影视传媒檚 issues of a breach of confidentiality.
SA国际影视传媒淭he Board of Management regrets the time it has taken to respond to the fourth complainant, and I sincerely apologize for this delay,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e accept the investigationSA国际影视传媒檚 finding that there was a breach of confidentiality and have apologized to the complainant. The Board has taken steps to deal with the issue internally.SA国际影视传媒�
Blake also addressed an affidavit filed by Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson which was provided to the Norn inquiry and which was obtained by News/North recently.
The affidavit spells out in detail JacobsonSA国际影视传媒檚 account of of a physical and verbal altercation between Clerk Mercer and Minister Shane Thompson on March 13, 2020.
SA国际影视传媒淲ith respect to the affidavits sworn by Mr. Jacobson and others, these were provided to the inquiry as part of an application for subpoenas by Mr. Steve Norn,SA国际影视传媒� Blake stated.
SA国际影视传媒淢r. Norn wanted caucusSA国际影视传媒� complaint against him dismissed and said the Inquiry was tainted by conflict of interest and institutional bias due to incidents involving the Office of the Clerk that occurred before the complaint against Mr. Norn.SA国际影视传媒�
Blake added that Justice Ronald Barclay, who was the sole adjudicator in NornSA国际影视传媒檚 inquiry, dismissed NornSA国际影视传媒檚 application and ruled that it was SA国际影视传媒渁ppropriate for the board of management and the assemblySA国际影视传媒檚 legal counsel to receive those affidavits to respond to the application.SA国际影视传媒�
Based on BlakeSA国际影视传媒檚 statement, Jacobson and the legislature continue to have different accounts as to the extent to which the MLASA国际影视传媒檚 complaints were at all addressed by Quintet.
Blake insisted that the member from Nunakput had a chance to file his grievances then and that all complaints were SA国际影视传媒渢horoughly investigated.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淲ith respect to the incident between Mr. Thompson and the Clerk on March 13, 2020, Quintet provided an opportunity for this to be investigated. Despite this opportunity, no complaint was filed,SA国际影视传媒� Blake said.
Jacobson has continued to disagree, as stated in his Norn affidavit.
SA国际影视传媒淚 am concerned with the Quintet investigation engaged for the purpose of examining many of the allegations against the Clerk have been controlled by the Clerk, and the ClerkSA国际影视传媒檚 office controlled it,SA国际影视传媒� Jacobson stated. SA国际影视传媒淚 am aware of multiple witnesses that have not been given and opportunity to be interviewed by the Quintet staff, including myself.SA国际影视传媒�
Blake also addressed the Thompson incident specifically, noting that the incident has been dealt with.
SA国际影视传媒淢r. Thompson advised me shortly after the incident that he and Mr. Mercer apologized to each other and that Mr. Thompson considered the issue closed,SA国际影视传媒� Blake said.
Thompson to date has not spoken publicly about the incident.
