N.W.T. MLA Daryl Dolynny pushes boundaries of election rules

Questions are being raised as at least one incumbent MLA in the Northwest Territories is pushing the boundaries of election rules.

"One of the things that's commonly cited with consensus government is the success rate of incumbents," says Tim Mercer, clerk of the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly.

"We've calculated it at about two thirds 67 per cent is the standard incumbency rate from one election to another."

Mercer says the perception is that it's very difficult to unseat an incumbent and that's whyMLAsare not allowed to use tax dollars to promote themselves for three months prior to an election, and limits are set on the amount of tax dollars they can use for self-promotion leading up to a campaign.

A few weeks ago, DarylDolynny,the MLA for Range Lake, sent an email to "all those that I have helped at some point, in my time, at the legislative assembly, or that I have supported."

In the email, Dolynny says a territorial election is just around the corner and he's looking for testimonials of support to use in his campaign for re-election.At the bottom of the email he provided his legislative assembly phone number, a cell phone number and hiswebsiteaddress.

Mercer says the rule for MLAs using taxpayer-funded resources in an election campaign is clear.

"In the normal course of business, MLAs will often let people know where to reach them or get information on their website, but if that information is done in the context of an election campaign, they should not be referring people to a cell phone that's paid for with public funds, or a telephone here in the building, or a website that's paid for with public funds," Mercer says.

Dolynny said he pays for the cell phone that was listed at the bottom of the email.

He wasn't available for an interview, but said he sought advice from the legislative assembly before sending out the email. He said he could not recall from whom he got the advice.

Hawkins sends $6K newsletters weeks before deadline

Julie Green, a former CBC North employee, plans to challenge Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins in the upcoming election.

She says she was surprised to find a taxpayer-funded glossy, full-colour newsletter from Hawkins in her mail in mid-July.

Though Hawkins didn't break any rules, Green says the $6,000 newsletters distributed throughout the riding is an enormous amount of money when the total election budget is $30,000.

"I certainly feel he took advantage of the fact that he could spend his constituency budget on this self-promotion within the rules, within the campaign period but only just."

Green says it arrived two weeks before the election year cut-off date for MLAs' newsletters.

Hawkins described Green's point as "frivolous." He said keeping constituents informed is part of his job as an MLA.

Citing illness, he refused to answer any questions about the newsletter.