Yumimi Pang
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 21, 2008

IQALUIT - Premier Paul Okalik is seeking to have Lynda Gunn's $600,000 defamation lawsuit against him and the Government of Nunavut dismissed.

Okalik filed a statement of defence in the Nunavut Court of Justice on July 7, asking for Gunn's claim to be dismissed with costs.

"The Premier admits that his behaviour, judgment and choice of language in making the comment were inappropriate and ultimately reflect poorly on himself," stated the claim.

"However, the defendants deny that the comment was reasonably capable of bearing any defamatory meaning to the plaintiff."

The lawsuit is based on comments that Okalik made about Gunn, Nunavut Association of Municipalities CEO, at a dinner hosted by the Nunatsiavut Government in Labrador in June 2007. He was overheard by a number of guests, including Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik, referring to Gunn as a "f--ing bitch."

The Premier apologized within days of the incident to Gunn and Sheutiapik and in September 2007 made a public apology during a session of the legislative assembly.

Okalik's statement of defence states the comment would ordinarily be regarded as a term of dislike or abuse and denies it was harmful to Gunn's reputation.

Further it states the premier did not encourage repetition of the comment, but Gunn "contrived and took active steps to repeat the comment to others and demand the resignation of the premier, thereby encouraging and consenting to re-publication of the comment."

Okalik's statement of defence also claims Gunn is either solely or predominately responsible for losses and damages resulting from subsequent publication of the comment undertaken or instigated by her and that she exaggerated any such losses or damages in her statement of claim.

Gunn filed a statement of claim on April 1 seeking $400,000 in damages for loss of reputation, mental distress and anxiety and $200,000 in exemplary damages.

Gunn's claim asserts her ability to perform duties associated with her position have been adversely affected by the damages to her reputation as well as mental anguish and anxiety and have adversely affected her credibility to maintain her position with NAM.

"I have no comment so long as this statement of claim, which the lawyers put in, for me is still in effect," said Gunn.