Tapardjuk deflects Boparai questions

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo asked the minister responsible for human resources, Louis Tapardjuk, some uncomfortable questions related to the disputed firing of Harbir Boporai, who claims he was dismissed from the GN because of false rumours circulating in Panniqtuuq.

In preparation for the question, Tootoo tabled a copy of the front page article from Nunatsiaq News on Friday, Nov. 19. Members of the legislative assembly must table documents that they intend to quote from in the house.

This past Monday, Tootoo quoted an email cited in the article. Boparai’s supervisor wrote the following email to defend Boparai’s firing to the Nunavut Employees Union:

“We are a representative government and have an obligation to hire on the basis of fairness and equity, and if the community feels, however inaccurate, this process is not fair, then we are obliged to ensure fairness and equity.”

Tootoo asked Tapardjuk whether firing people based on public perception was government policy. He later asked, “how many people and who would they have to tell” if they felt somebody had been hired unfairly.

Tapardjuk refused to answer, saying he did not have the information in front of him, but that he could answer the question by correspondence.