SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Premier Floyd Roland avoided an in-depth examination of his affair with a legislative assembly clerk after admitting to keeping it secret from MLAs on the opening day of an inquiry to determine whether he breached conflict of interest rules.

Premier Floyd Roland, right, converses with his lawyer, Kathy Peterson, during the opening morning of a public inquiry into his secret affair with a clerk at the legislative assembly. - Andrew Livingstone/NNSL photo

In a written submission to sole adjudicator Ted Hughes on Tuesday morning, Roland's lawyer Kathy Peterson said the premier won't dispute the findings made by NWT conflict of interest commissioner Gerald Gerrand earlier this year - findings which launched the inquiry.

"Regardless of the commencement date of the intimate relationship between Premier Roland and (Patricia) Russell, it is clear it extended in secrecy for a period of some months," said Glenn Tait, legal counsel to Hughes, reading from the submission.

Roland and Russell - who was working as a clerk to regular MLAs in the legislative assembly at the time - both told Gerrand their relationship began in September 2008 and remained a secret until Nov. 16, when Roland informed his wife.

"Key individuals" of the legislative assembly were informed on Nov. 17 and 18, and when summoned for a meeting with legislative assembly clerk Tim Mercer Nov. 18, Russell acknowledged the relationship.

Some MLAs were notified of the relationship by Russell's husband through an e-mail Dec. 2, telling them the relationship began in July 2008.

"It is no longer necessary to call any additional evidence to that issue," Tait said.

"The fact there was an intimate relationship is admitted and the fact it was held in secret for a period of some time."

With the admission Roland had kept the relationship secret from MLAs, Tait suggested witnesses scheduled to appear the week of Oct. 5 be called later this week, to which Hughes agreed.

Roland's lawyer, and Yellowknife MLAs Bob Bromley, Glen Abernethy and Dave Ramsay - three of the six regular MLAs who filed the complaint against Roland - had no problem with the change in the proceedings.

Hughes recommended an adjournment until Thursday to allow time for Tait to arrange for one of the three unnamed witnesses to be interviewed by Tait and to provide Roland's lawyer and the MLAs with documents relating to the three witnesses' statements.

The lone witness to speak yesterday was legislative assembly clerk Tim Mercer. He was asked to testify on how the legislative assembly functions, particularly the roles and responsibilities of the clerk staff.

Before his testimony began, Mercer's lawyer told Hughes he wouldn't answer any specific questions about Roland's affair because of the possibility any such questions could jeopardize his impartial and neutral role as clerk, to which Hughes agreed.

The next hearing date is Sept. 10.