John Thompson
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (May 30/05) - The Government of Nunavut has fired a return volley at Sharon Ehaloak, a former employee who claims she was fired because of a conspiracy among senior government officials fuelled by racism.

Ehaloak earlier filed a $6 million lawsuit at the end of March naming Premier Paul Okalik, Finance Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Health Minister Levinia Brown, claiming she was wrongfully dismissed.

She made $145,000 a year as an assistant deputy minister for Health and Social Services.

Ehaloak was dismissed from her post in early December after an external review concluded she used the medevac plane to fly herself and three family members to attend the Frolic Festival in Bay Chimo.

The community is about 200 km from her home in Cambridge Bay.

In her lawsuit, Ehaloak said her employers conspired to get rid of her because she wasn't Inuk.

The government's statement of defence, filed May 16, refutes these allegations and says she was fired because of occupational fraud.

Ehaloak was paid for the time she spent in Bay Chimo and did not pay for the full personal portion of the flight, the government states in its statement.

She says her supervisor gave her permission for the flight and denies any wrongdoing in the incident.

No court date has been set.