Yellowknife (May 09/05) - A member of the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board has protested the way Todd Burlingame was confirmed as chairman of the regulatory body.

Stephen Nielsen, a member of the board panel that last month asked Burlingame to stand aside because of possible conflict of interest, described the recent confirmation as "a set up."

"The press release was drafted before the meeting started," Nielsen said in his report to the water board panel last Wednesday.

It said that on "hearing evidence provided by the chair, and reviewing the analysis by board counsel, the board concluded that there was no conflict of interest or apprehension of bias."

Nielsen said the chairs of the Gwich'in and Sahtu water boards met privately with Burlingame in Inuvik the day before a meeting of the full board.

Burlingame has been under cloud since Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott named him chair over three candidates recommended by the board.

Officials in Scott's office said Burlingame would be on salary, and not be paid by honorarium. A lawyer advising the board said that might be perceived as a conflict and could open board decisions to legal challenges.

Burlingame suspended board business after the panel passed a resolution asking him to stand down "until the apprehension of bias and appearance of conflict of interest is removed to the satisfaction of the board."

While Burlingame and board members Eric Menicoche, Sabeth Biscaye and Violet Camsell-Blondin listened in silence, Nielsen reminded them that at the Inuvik meeting "we spoke to the need for an honest and mutually respectful future."

Refused interview

Nielsen declined after the meeting to expand on his comments and Burlingame refused a request for an interview.

"I heard loud and clear from the board in Inuvik that they are kind of tired of the attention," he said, declining to go into detail on the controversy that has surrounded his appointment.

"I think the board came to grips with the situation in Inuvik," despite Nielsen's expressed dissatisfaction.

Burlingame said the Inuvik meeting was "public, we didn't go in camera, which is a real step forward. It's nice to do our business without going in camera."

"I think people think it's time to move on and do our business in the public eye," he said, before closing the doors to the public on the business portion of the meeting.