Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Oct 13/03) - In a bizarre moment for municipal politics, a candidate for Hay River Town Council was arrested during its Oct. 6 meeting.

Harvey Werner was removed by the RCMP for violating a probation order preventing him from entering Town Hall.

He walked in on the meeting after it had begun, prompting Mayor Duncan McNeill to call an adjournment. Werner was asked to leave but refused, and the police were called.

However, he did not go quietly, saying to a police officer: "take your hands off me."

The well-known anti-council activist argues he did not violate the probation order, which was imposed after his mischief conviction for a May 27 incident at Town Hall.

Werner says he didn't expect to get arrested. "I followed my probation order to a 'T'."

The candidate explains, when the probation order was imposed in early September, the judge ruled it did not apply to town council meetings. A transcript of the ruling reads the probation order will be "silent with respect to meetings of the town council."

In addition, he claims a town employee suggested he attend the meeting.

His probation order allows him to go to Town Hall when invited.

Werner says he wanted to discuss his disputed debts with the town before the Oct. 20 election. The debts, which he claims he doesn't owe, had initially threatened his eligibility to run.

McNeill says the town had to obey the law and have Werner removed.

The mayor adds it did not matter that Werner was sitting quietly in the public gallery. "He was there illegally. I had no choice but to comply with the law."

McNeill also says he is not aware of anyone with authority inviting Werner to the meeting.

Werner says he was taken to the RCMP detachment and released a couple of hours later without being charged with anything. However, he was given an early November date to appear in Territorial Court.

Attempts to obtain a comment from the Hay River RCMP were unsuccessful.