Michael Nadli, Deh Cho MLA, suspended after being sentenced to jail for assault
MLA pleaded guilty to slapping his spouse and breaking her wrist at their home in Fort Providence
N.W.T. MLA Michael Nadli has been suspended after a judge sentenced him Thursday to 45 days in jail for assault causing bodily harm.
A news release from the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly says the jail sentence automatically disqualifies Nadli to sit or act as an MLA and he is no longer eligible for MLA pay and allowances.
Nadli pleaded guilty to the assault in June.
The MLA for Deh Cho was charged after an incident in Fort Providence last April.
According to facts read out in court, on April 5 Nadli left the family home in Fort Providence to go to church. His spouse stayed at home with one of their sons and was drinking beer.
The son phoned Nadli and told him she was talking on the phone with another man. Nadli went home, angrily dumped out her beer, and demanded his spouse get out of the house. When she refused, he slapped her, grabbed her by the arm and tried to pull her out.
When the RCMP arrived they found packed suitcases and bags outside the front door of the home. The victim's blouse was ripped and she had a swollen wrist, which doctors later determined was broken.
Nadli broke down as he addressed the judge just before being sentenced. He said he was truly sorry for the pain, sadness and stress he has caused. The former two-term Grand Chief of the Dehcho First Nations said he had to explain to his son that what he did was wrong, that violence is never a way to resolve a dispute.
Nadli's lawyer had asked for a conditional discharge but the judge said there had to be consequences for a spousal assault that left the victim with a broken wrist.
Nadli's spouse and three children were in court to support him during the sentencing. After the judge sentenced him to jail time, Nadli's spouse left the courtroom in tears.
It's the second time Nadli has been convicted of assault. In 2004 he was sentenced to six months probation for assaulting his spouse.
Under N.W.T. legislative assembly rules, Nadli's seat cannot be formally declared vacant until his opportunities for appeal expire, but the seat will become vacant anyway when the assembly is dissolved Oct. 25 in preparation for the Nov. 23 election.
Prior to the recent charge, Nadli had indicated he planned to run for re-election.
Under N.W.T. election rules, an individual is not eligible to be a candidate if they are imprisoned in a correctional institution.