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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Rumours among MLAs that the premier is having an affair gained substance this week as MLAs have scheduled a meeting Friday morning to confront him about it.

Premier Floyd Roland will face MLAs on Friday to answer to whether his girlfriend passed confidential information from caucus meetings to cabinet. - NNSL file photo

Despite a statement made by the premier's office that the affair is a personal matter, MLAs plan to question Premier Floyd Roland because the woman involved reportedly worked at the legislative assembly and may have passed confidential information from committee meetings to cabinet.

"I have just called a caucus meeting and it's just basically to discuss concerns that members have and that's pretty much it. As to what, it's not out there," said Wendy Bisaro, MLA for Frame Lake, on Wednesday morning.

She later acknowledged that discussions could touch upon whether confidential information was communicated to the premier by his girlfriend.

Other MLAs confirmed it would be on the agenda.

Roland was not available for comment Wednesday.

Julia Mott, spokesperson for the premier, issued a statement on his behalf. "This is Premier Roland's private business and he will not be discussing it publicly," she said.

The premier is expected to be at Friday's meeting.

MLAs were aware of the relationship between Roland and the staff member. Jane Groenewegen, MLA for Hay River South, said she first heard about it was last Thursday.

"I was surprised," she said.

Groenewegen said she hasn't heard anything officially about it, but heard it through the grapevine and hasn't talked to the premier about it.

"I'm sure he'll have something to say about those concerns but we haven't had that talk with him yet, so I have no idea whether any information ever transferred from our meetings to him," she said.

At the caucus meetings, Groenewegen said MLAs air their issues freely and let it be known where they stand on issues. She said MLAs also strategize at meetings, thinking what they say will not leave the room.

"Certainly staff do have access to our meetings and they are pretty much invited in," she said.

"Just like cabinet strategy meets every morning when session is on, regular members strategize every morning as well, about what we are going to do that day," she said.

MLAs said they will know more about the relationship after Friday's meeting.

"I have no confirmation," said Bisaro.

"It's best to not leave it unspoken of," said Groenewegen. "It's best to have communication with the members about it," she said.

"I don't know enough to say anything," said Glen Abernethy, MLA for Great Slave. "We don't know what the truth is. Everybody is out there rattling off rumours and innuendo and it's not fair to judge anybody on rumours and innuendo.

"I am going to wait until we talk to (Roland), hear what he has to say and then we will have to make some sort of decisions whether it's an issue or it's not an issue," said Abernethy.

Tim Mercer, clerk of the legislative assembly, would not comment on rumours that a legislative assembly staff person was transferred to Elections NWT.

"I'm not going to comment on internal staffing issues," he said. "The role of staff and the jobs of the legislative assembly are personnel matters and are not issues I'm going to comment on," he said.

Mercer said normally committee meetings are staffed by a clerk and a research assistant.

Saundra Arberry, chief electoral officer with Elections NWT, did not comment on whether an employee had been transferred from the legislative assembly to her office.

"That's an internal staffing issue," she said.

Roland and his wife Shawna have six children, according to his biography on the legislative assembly website.