Arviat (May 12/04) - Former Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien has been drawn into another battle with the Government of Nunavut (GN).

O'Brien has been under intense media scrutiny since an editorial appeared in the Kivalliq News this past month, which referred to him being charged with a liquor offence in Arviat this past summer.

Former house speaker and Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien's campaign poster for the past territorial election could be viewed as a cruel joke in light of his recent problems with the Nunavut government.

Premier Paul Okalik has denied any knowledge of the charge until learning of it through the media.

Okalik's Deputy Minister of Justice, Nora Sanders, resigned from her position this past week over the handling of information during the RCMP's investigation into the O'Brien matter.

O'Brien's latest problems with the GN are being initiated by the Nunavut Housing Corp., which may be looking for a way out of the lease agreements it holds with O'Brien on four Arviat properties.

While two of the four staffing units are currently occupied, Nunavut Housing Corp. president Peter Scott said his department has serious problems with the other two units, which remain empty.

Scott claims O'Brien has failed to live up to his obligations in the lease agreement concerning the two units. "It's a case of getting two of the four units up to occupiable standards," said Scott. "To date, we have not terminated those leases, but we have actioned certain rights within those leases in regards to the property."

Scott said O'Brien has been given numerous chances to honour his side of the agreement.

He said the GN has run out of patience regarding the matter and is contemplating proceeding in another direction.

Scott would not say whether O'Brien is still receiving income from the GN on the two units.

"Normally, if the units were occupiable under any leasing agreement, whether they were occupied or not, there's a contractual obligation to make the payments."

Scott said the action being taken by Housing has nothing to do with the liquor charge levied against O'Brien this past summer.

"This has been an ongoing issue that we've been working on with Mr. O'Brien since well before the charge was known publicly.

"Even though, because of the timing, you could probably draw a line connecting the two, that's simply not the case.

"However, this could go beyond the current situation and end up as a legal issue."

Despite repeated attempts, O'Brien could not be reached for comment by the Kivalliq News.