Chief of staff dispute continues
Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 13/00) - The sides in the dispute over the territorial chief of staff's chairing the Liberal election campaign have yet to agree on what forum the issue should be discussed in.
Premier Stephen Kakfwi wants debate over whether the chief of staff should be permitted that level of political involvement to take place in caucus, he wrote in a Nov. 8 letter, "because the discussion will be of interest to all MLAs."
The letter was addressed to the chair of the Accountability and Oversight Committee, Charles Dent. The Premier said "cabinet" was prepared to discuss the issue at the Nov. 14 caucus meeting.
Kakfwi wrote that he would make a presentation to caucus focusing on one of the conclusions of a legal opinion obtained by Thebacha MLA Michael Miltenberger.
Kakfwi spent 90 minutes making his case to the AOC on Friday. The committee did not reach any conclusion on the issue, Dent said.
Ultimately it will be up to caucus co-chairs, Tu Nedhe MLA Stephen Nitah and Great Slave MLA Bill Braden, to determine the caucus agenda.
Miltenberger raised the issue in the assembly two weeks ago. He maintains the chief of staff is among the group of senior staff restricted from such political involvement. Kafkwi argued the newly-created position was similar to that of an executive assistant, which is exempt from such restrictions.
