I am sorry, I am not sure what the inconsistency was, but there is, I think, a fairly standard provision in these kinds of contracts. I do not know if I said something that was inconsistent with that.
Debates of March 11th, 2002
This is page numbers 507 - 546 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 532
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 532
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
March 10th, 2002
Page 532
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
Thank you. When I asked about confidentiality clauses in the principal secretary's contract I was told, "Yes, there is a confidentiality clause." When I asked in the chief of staff's contact about a waiver clause I was told, "We cannot tell you the details of that essentially," and I am paraphrasing here, "because we would need third party approval." I do not understand the reasoning for third party approval when it comes to waivers versus knowing about another clause such as confidentiality.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 532
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Snider
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What I was indicating was that there was a confidentiality clause to say that we could not talk about the details of the agreement itself, to indicate that that was the case with that contract as well.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
Thank you. I am not asking, Mr. Chairman, for the details of that waiver clause. I am just asking simply if one exists and I have been told they do exist typically in these contracts, but I am just asking if one exists in the former chief of staff's contract.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, as I said earlier this is standard in these kinds of contracts, but I cannot comment on the chief of staff's contract, or any of the contracts specifically. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
Thank you. When asked about the signatories of the two contracts, first of all, I believe I was told that the Premier was acting as the Minister for the public service in both instances. In one instance, the former principal secretary contract, the Premier was not required to be a signatory. In the other instance, in the former chief of staff contract, it was the Premier who was the signatory, not Ms. Snider. I am wondering, why the difference?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Snider
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason for that was that one was within the delegated authority that I had to sign and the other was not.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
When you say that one was outside your delegated authority for you to be able to sign, are you indicating that you had no authority to negotiate terms of a settlement that were not expressly contained in a contract?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Snider
I think we are again getting into detail that I cannot discuss.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
Maybe the Minister could run down the delegated authority of the secretary to Cabinet as opposed to the Premier's authority in these matters, so we can see where the difference would arise in their ability to sign off on these respective contracts.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Joe Handley Weledeh
Mr. Chairman, I think what has happened in this situation is first of all, generally, the Premier would have signed the contracts of the individuals who report directly to him. In signing those contracts, he would also sign the termination contract, if there was one. If it was simply an administrative matter where there were not any issues, then it could be signed off by the secretary to Cabinet. I think that is the explanation of the inconsistency between the two. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 533
Brendan Bell Yellowknife South
Thank you. This might be a question for the Premier. I am going by Friday's unedited Hansard, page 1140. I am quoting the Premier:
Nobody is denying the Members information. They simply should have asked and attended the sessions where the questions were asked yesterday. I know that Ms. Snider is prepared to answer the questions because she arrived at the contracts with the people involved and she, along with the support staff, negotiated the severance packages, if that is what you call them, and brought them to me in both instances for signature.
I just heard Ms. Snider tell me that in fact, she signed the former principal secretary's termination contract but that the Premier signed the former chief of staff's contract. I do not believe that is what the Premier had said on Friday when he said "They were brought to me in both instances for signature." Maybe the Premier could clarify that, if he was in fact talking about the same thing that we are talking about here.