N.W.T. government contracts questioned

The Northwest Territories government's contracts with two former cabinet ministers came under fire Monday from a Yellowknife MLA who questioned the purpose of those contracts.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley tabled the two Executive Department contracts in the legislative assembly on Monday, quizzing Premier Floyd Roland about the "strategic advice" he was seeking from Brendan Bell and John Todd, both former N.W.T. cabinet ministers.

In both cases, Bell and Todd received sole-sourced contracts without tenders or competition in December 2007, shortly after Roland became premier.

"The amounts being paid were quite lucrative, and often the wording was vague enough that almost any service or lack of it could've been provided, and the paycheques would go out," Bromley told CBC News outside the assembly on Monday.

Todd, a former finance minister, received a $48,000 one-year Executive Department contract to "provide strategic advice and assistance" to the premier's office on the N.W.T.'s relations with the federal government and with other provincial and territorial premiers.

Contract extended

Bell was industry minister in the previous government of Joe Handley, but decided not to seek re-election earlier in 2007. He headed up the Northern Strategy Group, which received a $50,000, three-month contract with the Executive Department.

The contract was later extended for a year and he received an additional $130,000.

Bromley noted that Bell's contract was signed 59 days after he had left office. At the same time, Bell was also receiving an eight-month transition allowance for outgoing MLAs from the N.W.T. legislative assembly, Bromley added.

"Should we be granting contracts to ministers who have just walked out of office? What should be the downtime?" Bromley said.

'Made absolute sense': premier

As with Todd's contract, Bell was tasked with giving "strategic advice" to Roland's office on intergovernmental relations. Bell was also tapped for his connections with the federal Conservative Party, according to Roland.

"The contract with Mr. Bell, for example or the Northern Strategy Group, more proper was one that, because he was very well-connected to the party, and we needed to get established and get our business case in and get as many meetings with the appropriate ministers as possible, it made absolute sense," Roland said.

When asked if his department's contract with Bell fulfilled its purpose, Roland replied, "I think it worked out very good. We got a lot of meetings initially and it served its purpose."

Bell ran for the Tories in the 2008 federal election, losing to New Democrat Dennis Bevington.

Bell declined to speak to CBC News about the contract. Todd was travelling and was not available for comment.

Law changes coming

By law, N.W.T. cabinet ministers cannot lobby or work for the departments they had headed up for one year after leaving office. However, they are free to lobby or work for any other department right away, should they wish.

Speaker Paul Delorey told CBC News changes to legislation are being considered and he hopes to table some possible changes next year.

"I do think we have to be responsible in controlling how much access former ministers, former members have to departments they've had a say in," Delorey said.

"In a small jurisdiction, if you're in cabinet, you know, you might be responsible for one department, but you have a fair bit of say in every department. So I can see where there's a need to tighten up our rules."

Bromley, who reviewed a total of five Executive Department contracts, said the contracts should be clearer and better justified if they are going to be sole-sourced.

"I see gaping holes, almost shoddy practices, and huge opportunities for tightening things up," he said.