Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 18/06) - A Yellowknife MLA says he is "extremely pleased" with the chief electoral officer's ruling that he didn't break the law in the 2003 election campaign.

"I just want to get back to work, doing what I was doing before," Yellowknife Centre MLA Hawkins said Monday after chief electoral officer Glen McLean released his report.

Robert Hawkins: "I think this is a victory for people who volunteer in campaigns."

"Ultimately, that's the really important thing to me."

McLean was asked to rule last fall if a pro-Hawkins sign on a motorhome belonging to Daryl Dolynny should have been declared as a campaign expense.

Runner-up AnneMieke Mulders, who lost to Hawkins by 40 votes, filed a complaint. An adverse ruling could have bounced Hawkins from his seat in the legislative assembly and into jail for up to a year.

McLean said he could not find anything anywhere that showed Hawkins contravened the NWT Elections Act.

"This vehicle in question was a private vehicle, so if you're caught up on size I suppose people would be concerned," said McLean.

"But it was voluntary, there was no charge for it, so consequently it didn't need to be reported."

Nor, he said, did the motorhome fall under the Act's definition of an "outdoor advertising facility."

"If somebody says 'give me some signs, I'll put them on my car,' that's fine," said McLean. "In this case it was the same thing except it was a large personal vehicle."

McLean added that he received no indication that the motorhome had been used as a campaign office.

The investigation by SecureCheck, a security firm, cost NWT taxpayers $7,500. McLean said he now considers the matter closed.

Hawkins said now that the investigation is over he can put his full attention back to serving his constituents.

He said the experience was particularly stressful on his family.

The biggest concern he had was on how the investigation would affect recruitment for campaign volunteers.

"This really puts a sour taste in someone's mouth if they want to volunteer, and all of a sudden they're under the gun and scrutiny of something," said Hawkins.

"I think this is a victory for people who volunteer in campaigns."

Daryl Dolynny, owner of the motorhome, could not be reached for comment.