Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 09/98) - The inquiry heard for the first time last week testimony from the premier's friend named in the conflict of interest complaint against Don Morin.

Former secretary to cabinet Roland Bailey was on the stand Wednesday and Thursday and talked about why he quit one of the highest positions in government to pursue business in the private sector, much of it consulting work for the GNWT since.

While Bailey liked being the deputy minister of Economic Development and Tourism, he said he didn't care too much about the secretary to cabinet position because of the stress involved. He left after only 10 months of service to the premier who hired him.

"I've had a few jobs in my life and this, I felt, was the worst job I ever had in my life so I gave my notice in mid-April (1996)," said Bailey.

"There was some attractiveness to the opportunity and the issues that the government was going to be dealing with and where the government wanted to go, but, at the end of the day, there were a lot of tough decisions to be made and tough decisions were made and there was a lot of pain. Some of those decisions bothered me.

I was very uncomfortable and didn't like the job."

Since leaving the government in 1996, Bailey has won a contract with the government to research the privatization of the petroleum production division. Bailey said he knew about the privatization plan but did not "unduly exploit" any information he gained as a former civil servant to get the contract.

Bailey was also invited by Finance Minister John Todd to be the manager of the Aurora Funds. Both immigration funds fully subscribed are worth nearly $70 million. His role is to give out loans to businesses.

Last November, Bailey and Mike Mrdjenovich were also successful in purchasing an office complex in the city and getting a long term lease with the government, at a time when the government was reviewing its leases and considering to pull out of Lahm Ridge Tower.

If, or any, role the premier had in helping Bailey get these contracts remains to be seen and lies in the hands of conflict of interest commissioner Anne Crawford.

Roland Bailey's C.V.

Born in Yukon, Metis.

Moved to Fort Smith, NWT in 1956.

Travelled across the North with parents, living in Yellowknife, Fort Simpson, Fort MacPherson, Aklavik, Inuvik and Fort Norman.

Attended boarding school in Inuvik.

Left high school in Inuvik and moved to Hay River.

Went south and continued education and came back to NWT to finish Grade 12 in 1968.

Came back to Hay River and worked for NorthwesTel. After seven years of service to NorthwesTel, went back to school and completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Alberta in 1977.

Upon completion worked for a chartered accounting firm in Edmonton for a short period and then went back to Hay River.

Went back to Edmonton again to work towards a chartered accountant designation but did not write a C.A. exam.

Moved to Hay River to work with a business that dealt with financing businesses, contracting and selling vehicles.

Moved from Hay River to Yellowknife doing consulting work for the Metis Development Corp.

Went on to work for Price Waterhouse and was asked to go to Vancouver as the controller of an automobile dealership in the summer of 1986.

Stayed for two and a half years and was called to work for the Metis Development Corp.

In 1992, while consulting, was approached by Dwight Noseworthy, deputy minister of Economic Development and Tourism at the time and was asked to help the government set up the NWT Development Corp.

October 1992 to October 1996 -- Employed by GNWT for three years deputy minister of Economic Development and Tourism. Ten months as secretary to cabinet and deputy minister of the executive department.

Currently runs a consulting firm Roland C. Bailey and Associates.

Manager of two Aurora Funds.

Owns, with Mike Mrdjenovich, Lahm Ridge Tower.