Calls grow to make secret Elections N.L. report public, as government stays silent

A person subpoenaed by the provincial citizens' representative as part of an investigation into complaints about workplace harassment and bullying at Elections Newfoundland and Labrador wants the findings made public.

The individual, who CBC News has agreed not to identify in order to protect their livelihood, said they spoke with the citizens' representative for several hours regarding allegations related to Bruce Chaulk, the Newfoundland and Labrador chief electoral officer and commissioner of legislative standards.

"There was incidents reported to me of what I would call bullying or harassment regarding employees there at that office as well as hiring family members and friends," said the individual.

The individual said the investigation happened after people involved in Elections N.L. reached a breaking point following the 2021 provincial election. They said both permanent and temporary employees were interviewed as part of the investigation, triggered by a whistleblower complaint.

The 2021 provincial election was the longest and costliest in Newfoundland and Labrador history. In-person voting was cancelled on Feb. 12, 2021, due to an outbreak of COVID-19, and problems with mail-in voting caused numerous delays of the final results.

Three candidates, including former NDP leader Alison Coffin, are challenging the election results in court.

The person subpoenaed by the citizens' representative said people involved in the election were in "disbelief" over what happened.

"People's moods and attitudes and just their sense of behaviour was deflated," they said.

The person also said two of Chaulk's sons were employed by Elections N.L. for "a few days, one or two days."

During the campaign, CBC News asked Elections N.L. if Chaulk's children were employed by the agency. Elections N.L. said in a statement they were volunteering to help process mailed-in ballots.

CBC News has repeatedly asked Chaulk for comment but has not received a response.

Interim PC leader '100% sure' report exists

Interim Progressive Conservative Leader David Brazil called for more transparency regarding the alleged report, which he said he's "100 per cent sure exists."

"We're confident that there's a copy of that somewhere in this Confederation Building," he said.

Brazil said the PCs have heard about the alleged report from employees and people connected to those employees.

"These people are still, from our understanding, in the workplace. So the environment there is obviously very toxic and very worrisome for these people, socially and mentally," Brazil said.

Brazil attempted to ask Premier Andrew Furey about the alleged report during question period on Thursday, but Bennett shut him down, in an exchange nearly identical to one that occurred Wednesday.

Furey wasn't available to speak with reporters Thursday, but on Wednesday said he wasn't privy to a report about workplace bullying and harassment — though he didn't deny one exists.

MHAs want to see report tabled

While speaking with reporters Thursday, interim NDP Leader Jim Dinn said he wasn't surprised to hear about the alleged report, and heard similar allegations related to bullying and harassment during the election.

"There were a few people who … had some issues with the treatment that they were receiving at that time," he said. 

The person subpoenaed by the citizens' representative said they haven't seen the report themselves but they believe it has been submitted to House of Assembly Speaker Derek Bennett. They want to see it tabled in the House of Assembly.

"It's the taxpayers of the province that pay for that office and pay for those employees. And employees are still there. How do they feel? Some of them participated in that report. Why aren't they privy to the result of it? Why aren't we all privy to it?"

Bennett hasn't confirmed the existence of the alleged report and has repeatedly refused to speak with reporters about the topic. In a statement, a spokesperson said Bennett would not be commenting at this time and said House of Assembly protocol dictates that the Speaker does not publicly disclose information in reports received by his office.

Independent MHA Paul Lane said he's heard about the alleged report from two people with "intimate knowledge" of the situation. 

"[One individual] indicated to me that there's people who have taken early retirement, people who quit their job, and that there's people there who were on pins and needles every day."

Lane said he's heard the alleged report took nine or 10 months to complete and 22 people were involved. He said he's heard the alleged report is 178 pages long and was submitted to the Office of the Speaker over two months ago.

Lane said he's filed a complaint with the citizens' representative in an effort to make the report public.

Citizens' Representative Bradley Moss declined an interview request from Radio-Canada.

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