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Hughes in

Appointed as new conflict of interest commissioner

Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 19/01) - Unlike the first time around, work experience was the main consideration when MLAs last week considered candidates for conflict of interest commissioner.

On Thursday, the legislative assembly's board of management recommended Commissioner Glenna Hansen appoint former British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Ted Hughes as acting conflict of interest commissioner. His appointment as conflict of interest commission will be recommended to the Legislative Assembly at its next session.

Hughes, a B.C. resident, is currently serving his sixth year as Yukon conflict of interest commissioner.

"We need to have somebody in place that does have a proven track record in light what we've all been through," said board member Floyd Roland.

The Inuvik Boot Lake MLA was referring to the political blood bath that followed from an investigation of an unprecedented bias charge against former conflict of interest commissioner Carol Roberts.

The investigation led to the resignations of two of the premier's most senior staff, the stepping down of the only woman on cabinet, who was also deputy premier, and the firing of the assembly's first choice for conflict of interest commissioner.

When it chose Carol Roberts to be its conflict of interest commissioner a year ago, the assembly traded experience to get a home-grown commissioner.

Roberts, now a Vancouver lawyer, grew up in Hay River. A Vancouver-based lawyer, she completed her law degree in 1985, and now serves on a number of tribunals, and provincial boards and agencies. She is a part-time member of the BC Human Rights Tribunal.

Hughes has a background more typical of conflict of interest commissioners.

A retired supreme court judge, he has presided over a number of high-profile public proceedings, including the APEC inquiry into a 1997 clash between police and protesters in Vancouver.

Roberts' lawyer said last week he is preparing to challenge the assembly's dismissal of his client in court.

Hughes was half of the short list the board considered for the job. The other candidate was Robert Clark, who was Roberts predecessor.

Clark indicated he would be unavailable because he will be heading up a review of Alberta's electoral boundaries.