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KIMMIRUT/LAKE HARBOUR
South Baffin MLA Fred Schell will have to wait until Oct. 31, or later, to learn the results of an investigation into still undisclosed allegations of breaches of the Integrity Act.

Integrity commissioner Norman Pickell sought and was given a 90-day extension to the original 90 days in which he is supposed to complete a review.

"The reasons for the request for the extension were provided to the Management and Services Board and will become public as part of the integrity commissioner's report," Pickell stated in a Aug. 4 media release.

There is still no explanation as to what triggered the review, which cabinet secretary Daniel Vandermeulen, under Premier Eva Aariak's direction, requested April 23.

Pickell stated in a May 10 news release that "there was sufficient grounds for conducting a review."

That review had started May 4, and the original deadline was Aug. 2. By July 6, Pickell knew he would not be able to meet that deadline.

The extension was granted July 16.

This is Pickell's fourth review of an MLA's conduct since he was appointed in July 2008 - the last review also looked into Schell's conduct.

Although Schell was found guilty in October 2011 of sending an e-mail to a bureaucrat about a private business interest prior to his promotion to minister, the legislature rejected Pickell's finding of fault because he should not have investigated comments made in the legislature, where Schell's freedom of speech is protected by parliamentary privilege.

Still, the legislature asked Schell to apologize and pay a $1,000 fine.

The integrity review is not the only concern for the beleaguered MLA. Schell and his wife are both accused of spousal assault. Schell's trial was set to go ahead Aug. 7, but will have to be rescheduled after defence lawyer Patrick Smith fell ill.

"Mr. Smith spoke to Justice (Robert) Kilpatrick last week and explained his situation," Alison Crowe said on his behalf. She is taking over Smith's cases while he is away.

Crowe said she was not prepared to defend the case right away because she had recently received the files.

Justice Todd Ducharme granted an adjournment, and a new trial date will be set Sept. 10.

The trial for Schell's wife, Ezevallu Qatsiya, is set for Nov. 19.

Schell, 59, and Qatsiya, 29, are accused of assaulting each other April 10 at their Iqaluit home. At an earlier court date, Qatsiya's lawyer, Malcolm Kempt, said each will testify in the other's trial.

Qatsiya is living in Cape Dorset, while Schell remains in Iqaluit.

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