Fort Simpson (Mar 19/04) - A report examining the actions of a senior federal official remains in the hands of the federal government.

The 40-page document on Paul Bernier, vice-president of program delivery for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), was completed in January.

The Deh Cho First Nations has not yet seen the report, DCFN legal counsel Chris Reid said last week.

Bernier, who remains suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation, has been provided a copy, said Sandy Crawford, manager of communications/operations for CEAA.

CEAA's president is to make a decision on the case. He is currently in consultation on the matter with the secretary of the Treasury Board and the federal deputy minister of Environment, according to Crawford.

She couldn't say when a decision will be made, but reiterated the report will be publicly available in the future.

The document was produced by Montreal lawyer Vincent O'Donnell, who CEAA hired to investigate the allegations.

Reid conceded that the DCFN is frustrated and puzzled by the delays.

"That's certainly kind of mysterious. I mean, what is it that would take so long to figure out?" he asked.

In October, the DCFN publicly accused Bernier of violating federal policy because his wife, Maureen, has registered mining claims in the NWT on and near the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline route.

The Territorial Lands Act states, "No officer or employee of or under the Government of Canada shall directly or indirectly, in his own name or the name of any other person, purchase or acquire any territorial land."

In addition, Paul Bernier was involved in negotiating a streamlined cooperation plan for the pipeline's environmental process.

At a leadership assembly in Fort Providence last month, Reid said the DCFN was not included in drafting the terms of reference for the Bernier investigation.

Requested a meeting

O'Donnell requested a meeting with Grand Chief Herb Norwegian as part of his research, but the meeting fell through when the DCFN requested background on the terms of reference, said Reid.

Regardless, the DCFN cooperated by supplying O'Donnell with all the evidence it has, the lawyer said.

"So there wasn't much more we could have told him," he said.