Jess McDiarmid
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 5, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The legislative assembly's board of management came to a dead end in its attempts to deal with a complaint against former MLA Bobby Villeneuve.

"It appears that the case is that we do not have jurisdiction over Mr. Villeneuve as he is no longer a member of the legislative assembly," said Glen Boyd, law clerk to the legislative assembly.

"There are a variety of other options that are open to consider with respect to how this matter may be resolved but as far as following the procedure that's laid out in the act right now, moving to the sole adjudication stage, that simply isn't open at this point."

Villeneuve served as MLA for Tu Nedhe from 2003 to 2007. He came under fire earlier this year when it was suggested the MLA had lived in the capital since his 2003 election but had sworn an oath that he lived in Fort Resolution.

That oath entitled him to an annual Yellowknife rent allowance of roughly $27,000 for which members who live outside the capital are eligible.

An audit of every MLA's residency claim came on the heels of the scandal. As a result of the audit report, Speaker Paul Delorey filed a complaint against Villeneuve's residency claim to the conflict of interest commissioner.

The audit showed that in 1,316 days, Villeneuve had spent just 132 days in Fort Resolution. He was in Yellowknife 638 days when the assembly was neither in session nor holding committee meetings.

"This raises serious questions about that member's claim of permanent resident in Fort Resolution and his eligibility for approximately $28,000 per year in Yellowknife accommodation allowance," said Delorey at the time.

According to a statement from the legislative assembly, the embattled former member received $86,980 in accommodation and other allowances during that time.

A sole adjudicator would have conducted an inquiry and made recommendations to the assembly for further action.

The board was to appoint the adjudicator at its Wednesday meeting. But the question of jurisdiction arose earlier in the day and legal counsel advised that other options would have to be considered.

Tim Mercer, clerk of the legislative assembly, said the situation was unusual. It was the first time in the history of the legislative assembly that a complaint was to go to a sole adjudicator, a recommendation made while Villeneuve had his seat.

"All this was straddling a general election," said Mercer.

The board is now examining the previous reports and its options to decide what route to take.

"The board has a number of avenues open to recover any funds that may have been inappropriately paid to Mr. Villeneuve and will move quickly to do so if deemed necessary," said Delorey in the statement.

The board will consider the issue at its Nov. 7 meeting.