Credit card misuse
"I'm going to sue," says toppled president Martha Flaherty

by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 04/98) - Martha Flaherty is not in Pauktuutit's good books any more.

Last month, the long-time president of the Inuit women's association was fired after being accused of using the association's credit card for personal gain.

Reports to Pauktuutit's new board show that Flaherty, president since 1991, had for years been buying thousands of dollars worth of goods for herself and her family using Pauktuutit credit cards. By February, when she was told to stop, she owed the association $11,000.

Flaherty admitted using credit cards and promised to repay the money. But by the end of March she had racked up another $2,000.

"It's been ongoing ever since she got into Pauktuutit six and a half years ago. Then finally now something is being done about it," said Veronica Dewar, acting president of the association.

"We are very serious about it because it's public money and we will not put up with any of that stuff."

Dewar said Flaherty was also double-billing on expense accounts, and added that no agreements have been made yet to reclaim the money Pauktuutit is owed.

Flaherty, contacted at her home in Ottawa, said last week she is determined to pay back her debts and admitted double-billing for association-related travel expenses. But she also said she is going to pursue a wrongful dismissal suit.

"This women's group is supposed to be sympathetic to the people who are having a hard time. I did not steal," said Flaherty.

The 47-year-old Inuk said the past couple of years have not been easy for her and her family.

Three years ago, Flaherty's husband, Gordon Spence, was laid off from his job after they had bought a home for their three children in Ottawa. Their monthly mortgage payment was about $1,800, making it difficult to get by. Her annual salary of $65,000, she claimed, was not enough.

"I ran into a big financial problem. I started using the cards in 1995 and 1996."

Last year Flaherty also suffered medical problems and had to go into the hospital in November for surgery.

By Christmas they lost their home and were forced into a townhouse, which now costs them $900 a month.

Flaherty now owes Pauktuutit $8,000 and each months she said she has been paying $1,000.

Notice of dismissal

Flaherty added she is not pleased with the way Pauktuutit informed her of her dismissal.

"My kids were sick, one after another, when I got back from a meeting in Iqaluit and I was very sick on Friday. All of a sudden I got a call from the new vice-president asking me why am I not at work. They talked to me and I said I was sick. She said,

'Well, I don't believe that. I can come to your house and check you out'... and I hung up," Flaherty said.

"The next thing I noticed was a letter to myself and I was very, very shocked. I didn't know what to do. I never slept for three or four days."

"I haven't killed anybody, I haven't raped anyone, I never assaulted anyone. This is about money that's recoverable. I signed it. The executive knows it. I signed promissory (notes). I was always open to it," she said.

Flaherty said she's never received any letters informing her about what she was doing wrong.

"If they wanted me out of there they should have had the meeting with me and told me what's wrong. What angers me the most is why didn't they give me hell, or tell me what's wrong with me instead of dragging it along like they said for so many years if there was something wrong."

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