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'Give ur head a shake'
Bob McLeod defends testy e-mail exchange with Glen Abernethy supporter for premier

Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Tuesday, December 15, 2015

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
When Yellowknifer Trevor Duggan e-mailed MLAs saying they should elect Glen Abernethy as premier instead of Bob McLeod, he was taken aback by the peevish reply he got from McLeod.

Duggan wrote to all 19 MLAs over the weekend suggesting they vote in Abernethy as the best candidate for "change."

Last week, MLAs touted their decision to add a week between the nominations for premier and the vote, which was said to be a chance for the public to voice their views.

"We need change," Duggan wrote Saturday evening in an e-mail exchange obtained by Yellowknifer.

"We need to move forward, not backwards. We need someone to stand up for us Northerners and fight for a better tomorrow. I believe Mr. Glen Abernethy is a vote in the right direction.

"Mr. McLeod has indicated he is an agent of change. However in my personal opinion the NWT has been going downhill in recent years (under his leadership) so I can't help but wonder what type of change he is an "agent" for."

McLeod, MLA for Yellowknife South, responded via his GNWT e-mail account a few hours later.

"Mr. Abernethy is a Cabinet Minister. Give ur head a shake," states McLeod's e-mail received at 11:46 p.m. Saturday and copied to the 18 other MLAs.

McLeod defended the e-mail in an interview Tuesday, saying Duggan was laying the blame only on him for decisions made by cabinet.

"Government decisions were not by one person, but cabinet as a whole," McLeod said, adding that no one person makes a decision.

Abernethy served as a cabinet minister during McLeod's term as premier, most recently as minister of Health and Social Services.

Duggan told Yellowknifer the reply was unbecoming of a leader.

"To me it's unprofessional for an MLA and someone who wants to lead the NWT," he said.

When asked, Duggan said he's not associated with any of the MLAs and just wanted to provide his input.

Yellowknifer spoke to several MLAs, including Abernethy, who confirmed they received the e-mail from McLeod.

Abernethy declined to comment.

Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne declined to speak directly to what McLeod wrote but said elected officials have to deal with lots of input from constituents, some of it angry. As an elected official, he said they must respond in a respectful manner.

"It's something we can likely see through," Vanthuyne said when asked if the exchange would influence his vote.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green said she didn't know why all MLAs were copied on the exchange.

"I think we have bigger fish to fry," Green said when about whether it influences her decision.

When asked if he meant to send the e-mail to all MLAs, McLeod said he just replied to the e-mail.

MLAs are set to vote for premier today.

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