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    No ruling yet on Simailak e-mails

    Herb Mathisen
    Northern News Services
    Published Monday, September 1, 2008

    NUNAVUT - Nunavut's acting Integrity Commissioner has yet to decide whether Baker Lake MLA David Simailak broke a blind trust agreement which members are supposed to have regarding their business interests.

    Norman Pickell said he hopes to have his work done before the next sitting of the legislative assembly ends on Sept. 18. The assembly reconvenes Sept. 9.

    "I am working through the information that was given to me," he said. "My plan right now is to have my work done by the time this legislative assembly finishes sitting."

    Pickell said, however, that he would not be pushed into making a decision by that date.

    "I'm not going to let the pressure of the legislative assembly sitting in September and an election upcoming in October put undue pressure on me to get it done no matter what," he said.

    Pickell would not say whether he has sat down with Simailak yet.

    "By the time my report is done I will have input from Mr. Simailak for sure, but I am not going to say, at this point in time, whether I have spoken with him," said Pickell.

    "My hope is he will know, and everyone else know, my decision by the time this legislative assembly rises so that this is not hanging over his head for the upcoming election and left to the wonderment of his constituents."

    Should Pickell find Simailak abused the blind trust agreement, he would pass on his report - including recommendations for sanctions - to the speaker of the house. The speaker would then pass the report on to all MLAs and bring it in front of the house "as soon as possible."

    If the legislative assembly is not sitting, the report must be brought in front of the house within 10 days of the next sitting.

    "If there is a contravention, I have a range of sanctions that I can recommend," said Pickell, adding he can only recommend and does not order sanctions.

    After the report is completed, the legislative assembly cannot make any further inquiries into the matter.

    "There is no review of my decision available by a court," said Pickell.

    MLAs have the option to either adopt or reject Pickell's report and all his recommendations in a motion.

    "I realize there is no appeal for me, either," said Pickell. "It puts quite the onus on me that I get it right."

    E-mails released in the legislative assembly in June showed Simailak kept in contact with business interests while MLAs are supposed to observe a blind trust with their interests.