Yellowknife (Sep 29/04) - Henry Zoe, a former cabinet minister fired earlier this year for bad behaviour at the Yellowknife Legion, is now facing a resisting arrest charge after police were called to his home last month.

According to RCMP Sgt. Steve McVarnock, the MLA for the North Slave was arrested after police were called to his Yellowknife address to respond to a disturbance complaint Aug. 28.

Henry Zoe

When police tried to put Zoe in handcuffs, he refused.

"The officers had occasion to make an assessment that he had to be removed from the house, and he resisted with that process," said McVarnock.

Zoe was subsequently taken to RCMP cells for the night and charged with resisting arrest on Sept. 10.

He is due to appear in territorial court on Oct. 26.

Resisting arrest is considered either an indictable or summary offence, depending on the severity of the crime. It is punishable by up to two years in prison.

Crown prosecutor Noel Sinclair, who is handling the Zoe file, is out of town and could not be reached for comment.

While not normally a serious offence, the resisting arrest charge could have significant implications for Zoe's future as an MLA.

Legislative assembly clerk Tim Mercer said an MLA would automatically get the boot once convicted and appeals were exhausted for an indictable offence. Even a summary conviction could spell the end to Zoe's career as an MLA.

"It's up to the assembly," said Mercer, noting that MLAs are required by law to vote on a colleague's ouster, even on conviction of only a summary offence.

The latest charge isn't the only brush Zoe has had with the law. He has twice been convicted of assault, including once for spousal abuse.

The last time Zoe was convicted, he had to step down as MLA for North Slave in 1994. He ran again last November and won. He went on to win a seat on cabinet as minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Five months later, the assembly fired Zoe from cabinet after he made rude public remarks about Newfoundlanders and acted inappropriately at the Yellowknife Legion.

Zoe could not be reached for comment.