Citizens� Representative suspended, pending fall decision by House of Assembly

Harvey Hodder, Speaker of the House of Assembly, today announced that Citizens� Representative Fraser March has been suspended from duty. The Internal Economy Commission (IEC) made this recommendation to Cabinet based on the Auditor General�s Report and subsequent review released this year, as well as an external legal opinion which concludes that concerns about the conduct of the Citizens� Representative warrant his suspension, pending a decision by the House of Assembly in the upcoming fall sitting.

The IEC requested the external legal opinion in response to issues raised in the 2004 Auditor General�s Report on Reviews of Departments and Crown Agencies and by members of the public. The concerns relate to: improper travel reimbursement claims; performance of professional services while acting as Citizens� Representative, in contravention of the terms of his employment and the express provisions of the Citizens� Representative Act; and a perceived or possible conflict of interest during the course of an Office of the Citizens� Representative (OCR) investigation.

Mr. March was appointed to the position of Citizens� Representative by a resolution of the House of Assembly in December 2001, for a six-year term effective February1, 2002. In accordance the Citizens� Representative Act, an acting Citizens� Representative will be named shortly to conduct the ongoing business of the OCR. A decision on the future of the Citizens� Representative will be addressed by the House of Assembly in the upcoming fall sitting.

Media contact: Office of the Speaker, House of Assembly, (709) 729-3403

2005 08 30                12:50 p.m.