Green's Twitter reactivated after 'misunderstanding'
Move follows clarification of chief electoral officer's directive by speaker, says declared candidate
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, September 4, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A declared candidate for the fall territorial election has resumed tweeting, saying the move Monday to suspend her account that promoted her planned candidacy was "just a little misunderstanding."
"I'm back," Julie Green, who plans to run in Yellowknife Centre, tweeted Thursday morning.
"Just a little misunderstanding, now clarified."
Her return to Twitter comes a day after Yellowknifer reported chief electoral officer Nicole Latour asked Green to shut down her account after issuing a directive to potential candidates ordering them not to campaign before Oct. 26, when the election period is set to officially begin.
She used an emergency-powers clause of the territorial Elections and Plebiscites Act to grant herself authority to issue the directive.
"No person who may be a candidate in the November 23rd 2015 territorial general election shall campaign or otherwise promote his or her anticipated candidacy until their nomination papers have been filed and accepted by the returning officer," the directive states.
At issue with Green's earlier tweets appears to be the language she used.
"The mistake that I made on the Twitter feed was describing myself as a candidate," Green told Yellowknifer.
"And, in fact, I can't be a candidate until the writ is dropped on Oct. 26 and I've filed my nomination papers and they are found to be in good order ... So I can declare my intention to run and I can do other activities that are permitted by legislation in the pre-campaign period but I cannot promote or present myself as a candidate."
The clarification on the chief electoral officer's directive did not come from Latour.
Adrienne Cartwright, spokeswoman for Elections NWT, said Latour has not spoken to Green since telling her Monday not to actively campaign.
Yellowknifer requested an interview with Latour but did not hear from her by press time.
Green said Jackie Jacobson, the speaker of the legislative assembly, stepped in to clarify what potential candidates can and cannot do before the election officially begins.
Jacobson, according to Green, clarified that those planning to run cannot describe themselves as a candidate prior to being accepted as such formally.
Green declined a request to provide a copy of the directive from Jacobson.
Jacobson could not be reached Thursday afternoon.
