Yellowknife council weighs in on whether to reprimand councillor for ethics violation

Several Yellowknife city councillors say they're in favour of publicly reprimanding a councillor who violated the code of ethics by trying to get the city to reimburse her for a laptop she misplaced.

Councillors discussed the issue at a committee meeting on Tuesday. It follows the release last month of a report by the territory's integrity commissioner that recommends councillors consider censuring Coun. Cat McGurk for a "sequence of problematic decisions" and "irrational, self-serving and persistent" behaviour to rationalize her actions.

McGurk has said she accepts the findings of the integrity commissioner and acknowledged she acted inappropriately to avoid covering the cost of the missing laptop.

"Actions have consequences," said Coun. Rob Warburton, at Tuesday's committee meeting.

"So I think to just accept it and do nothing sends the wrong message ... People think we get a pass just because we say sorry. So yeah, it is a very tough one, but I would support censure."

The integrity commissioner's report details how, during the city's wildfire evacuation in 2023, McGurk stayed in the city to help co-ordinate volunteers, and borrowed and then misplaced the personal laptop of someone who worked for an electrical company involved in the city's wildfire response.

Coun. Cat McGurk, seen here at Tuesday's city committee meeting, did not take part in the discussion about a possible censure. (Submitted by Nadeer Hashmi, CBC)

The report says that later, after McGurk couldn't find the laptop, she went to two different contractors — neither of whom had ties to the laptop owner — and asked them to invoice the city for it.

In a statement to CBC, McGurk said she has since paid the person $750 for the missing laptop.

McGurk, who did not take part in Tuesday's discussion, was seen crying as she left city hall after the meeting adjourned.

Yellowknife residents dismayed by report, councillor says

Coun. Ben Hendriksen said Tuesday that he's received questions and comments from Yellowknife residents dismayed by the integrity commissioner's findings. He said residents are asking what council will do about this incident.

"We need to use the very, very limited authority we have to show the public…that we understand the hurt and mistrust this incident caused them and that we have taken this incident as seriously as we can," Hendrikson said.

Hendrikson says censure or publicly reprimanding McGurk is an appropriate step in this situation.

Coun. Steve Payne agreed, saying that while McGurk has expressed regret and apologized, it is essential for council to send the right message.

"We do have to answer to the public, and the public has been very vocal on this issue," Payne said.

Mayor Rebecca Alty said censures are an important tool to show that council does not support certain behaviour. Although McGurk has accepted responsibility, Alty said it is also important to publicly reprimand her for her actions.

"We've seen it in the past too, where council has issued a censure and the member has already accepted responsibility for their actions. So I think it's important that we have both," Alty said.

McGurk took responsibility, so shouldn't be censured

Not every councillor agrees that McGurk should be censured.

Coun. Tom McLennan noted that the integrity commissioner said censure would be an appropriate penalty if McGurk was unwilling to take responsibility for her actions. McLennan said McGurk had accepted and learned from her actions.

"Given that Member McGurk did accept the conclusions of the report… censure would not be an appropriate penalty," McLennan said.

Coun. Garett Cochrane said McGurk has met the threshold for taking personal responsibility, but said that he will follow the majority of the council.

"If we move toward censure, then we move toward censure," Cochrane said.

Council will meet again on Nov. 25 to pass a motion on the matter.