Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 19/01) - A private meeting of the legislative assembly's conflict committee before a public meeting has raised the ire of a lawyer hired to represent Premier Stephen Kakfwi.

The view through the legislative committee room's glass doors, which were closed to outsiders. - Robert Dall/NNSL photo

"They should at least be smart enough to have it at a different time," said an angry Sheila McPherson following a hastily called meeting Sunday night.

The committee met behind closed doors for "administrative briefings" before and after the public meeting, said committee clerk David Hamilton.

"That's a normal process for any committee or anybody, to have administrative briefings beforehand."

At the first briefing, committee members were "brought up to speed," on several 11th-hour requests received from witnesses -- including the premier -- scheduled to testify at this week's hearing, Hamilton said.

The second briefing focused on the process for the hearing and media restrictions. No debate occurs at the briefings, Hamilton said.

Media were advised Monday that committee members will not be commenting on the hearing until it concludes. No cameras are allowed in the hearing, though arrangements can be made to get images and sound from the legislative assembly's television service.

Hamilton would comment only on procedural matters. He said it would be no more appropriate for committee members to comment on the hearing as it would be for a judge to comment on a case over which he or she presides.

Correspondence the committee receives is also not public, Hamilton said.

On Sunday the committee received letters from three witnesses -- Kakfwi and his chief of staff, Lynda Sorensen, and principal secretary John Bayly -- requesting that their lawyers be allowed limited participation in the hearing.

That correspondence, and any other information not entered as evidence, may be released at the committee's discretion, only after the report on the hearing is tabled in the legislative assembly, Hamilton said.

Their requests were denied. Committee members, with the exception of Joe Handley, said the lawyers would bog down the process. The witnesses can take advice from their lawyers during the hearing.

April Taylor, director of communications for the executive, was excused from testifying because of medical problems. She will give evidence in an affidavit.