IQALUIT - An Iqaluit city councillor has been officially reprimanded and barred from confidential meetings, which he says is because he reported a crime.

Iqaluit Coun. Jim Little says he reprimanded and barred from confidential meetings because he reported a crime. - NNSL file photo

The motion made by Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik said councillor Jim Little had violated the confidentiality of in-camera council sessions, which are closed to the public. Council discussions can only be closed when they concern lands, labour or legal issues, Sheutiapik said.

Little said he learned of "criminal acts" in an in-camera session, and felt it was his duty to report them to the Commerial Crimes Division of the RCMP. He said that before deciding to do that, he discussed his concerns with his pastor and his lawyer, whose professions are covered by legal protections of confidentiality.

Little said his lawyer told him that even when a council session is in-camera, a councillor has a duty to report any crimes to authorities according to the Cities, Towns and Villages Act.

“I was doing my duty,” Little said. “If we become aware of a criminal act and we do not disclose it, we become complicit.”

Little wouldn’t say what his allegation had been or who it was against, saying he respected the confidentiality of in-camera sessions. He noted he had not gone to the media with his allegations, only to the police as his duty required.

Mayor Sheutiapik told Little he should have addressed his concerns with council before violating in-camera confidentiality.

“You didn’t even allow us to go through a process,” she told him.

Little later told reporters he had indeed discussed his concerns at a previous in-camera session but was shut down.

“The door was slammed basically in my face on that,” he said.

The motion to reprimand Little passed with the support of councillors Al Hayward, Jimmy Kilabuk, Claude Martel, deputy mayor Simon Nattaq and Glen Williams. Only Little voted against it.

Councillor David Alexander was absent from the session.

Councillor Hayward called incidents like Little’s disclosure a "menace and a hindrance" to city government. Before the vote he endorsed Sheutiapik’s motion for Little’s censure.

“It’s a message that we’re not going to put up with this foolishness any longer,” he said in council.

Without naming anyone, Hayward said it was "amazing" that after three years some councillors still don’t know basic procedure.

After council closed its doors to go in-camera, Little told media he was glad to be excluded.

“I’m delighted in one respect, because I can now wash my hands of this thoughtless process,” he said.