Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jul 22/98) - Jane Groenewegen is concerned that lack of funding for legal help could delay a public inquiry into her conflict of interest complaint.

As of Monday, the Hay River MLA still had not been granted payment for legal counsel by the territorial government's management services board. This lack of counsel has also kept her from accepting to be interviewed by the commissioner's council.

"Although I am anxious to fully co-operate with the process and the time frame laid out by the commissioner, I don't believe I should be expected to participate without the benefit of legal counsel," said Groenewegen.

Groenewegen's initial request for funding was denied by the GNWT's board on Feb. 23, but conflict commissioner Anne Crawford overturned the board's decision and ordered counsel for Groenewegen two weeks later.

Groenewegen immediately called upon legal counsel to help her with paperwork and guidance, but now her lawyer says he will not represent her again until payment is received from previous work rendered.

Lucas Bowker and White, the commissioner's legal counsel, said they are tentatively hoping to open the inquiry up Aug. 24 if a number of issues can be sorted out, particularly the funding of counsel for some of the parties involved in the matter.

"Mrs. Groenewegen is not the only one interested in being represented in this process. There are other people who's interests are bound up in the whole thing. They feel that they have interests that ought to be protected through having lawyers representing their interests," said Robert Dunseith, a lawyer with the firm.

"They don't feel at the same time that they should be pocketed, as I understand it, for that, because the matter is a public hearing, after all."

Applications for legal funding is expected to be discussed July 28 during a board retreat in Calgary. The management services board is made up of chairman, Sam Gargan, Kelvin Ng, representative from cabinet and three ordinary members Floyd Roland, Vince Steen and Kevin O'Brien.

The commissioner's lawyers said they would like to have had the matter dealt with sooner but that was the soonest the board said it could meet.

Within the last month Dunseith has conducted preliminary interviews with about 60 witnesses. None have chosen to have legal representation.

"We can't tell you who we've interviewed but generally speaking the people who have information about the terms of reference. Broadly speaking they're people in government, people in the civil service and private citizens who have had dealings with the government," said Dunseith.

The lawyers reported they are reasonably happy with the co-operation they have received to date and hope to hold a preliminary public hearing in Yellowknife on Aug. 6.

At that time they will address where they stand, review any road blocks they have encountered so far and push forward with the hearing if no other delays are encountered.

"Clearly there are a few individuals here who are going to be less than co-operative unless they have counsel," he said. I think we're talking about less than five," he said.

Dunseith would not say if the board is being difficult by not making available funding for parties involved but he did say the commissioner has full legal authority in this matter and that a meeting of the minds should take place soon.