Dingwall: Fired and entitled

The Privy Council Office (PCO) announced late this afternoon that a third-party arbitrator ruled that David Dingwall (left), former president of the Royal Canadian Mint and Chretien-era cabinet minister, left his job at the mint “involuntarily” and that he is entitled to a significant severance package.

I reported on this story this evening for our national newscast.

Some primary documents and extended interviews:

First, the press release from the PCO was put out around 3:30 pm Ottawa time on Saturday. With a new government ready to be sworn in on Monday, the release comes out at a time when almost all political staff on the Liberal side have already handed in their government-issue BlackBerrys and cell phones so it was difficult reaching Liberal politicians or political spokespeople.

[Arbitrator] Mr. [George] Adams has concluded that Mr. Dingwall's departure was involuntary and the Government has a legal obligation to pay him $417,780, as well as associated pension benefits. The binding award of the arbitrator has the force of a court order, and the Government has respected the decision. This amount is subject to the provisions of the Income Tax Act.

We tried unsuccessfully to reach David Dingwall for his comment but, late Saturday night, his lawyer issued the following statement:

This release is issued on behalf of Heenan Blaikie and Nelligan O'Brien Payne, counsel to Mr. David Dingwall, and responds to earlier releases issued on February 4, 2006 by the Government of Canada and Mr. Stephen Harper.

 

The matter of Mr. Dingwall's departure was referred to binding arbitration before the Honourable George Adams, QC, a well-known and respected labour aribtrator and mediator.

 

“Mr. Dingwall is satisfied with that result and pleased that the government is

complying with its legal obligations.  He is also grateful that his situation has been independently reviewed and that he can now put behind him the difficulties of the

last several months”, said Janice Payne, lawyer with Nelligan O’Brien Payne.”

Prime minister-designate Stephen Harper issued a brief statement:

“After months of evasive answers in the House of Commons, we have now learned that David Dingwall’s departure from the Royal Canadian Mint was involuntary. This is contrary to the information given by the Liberal government. I am very disappointed that Parliament was misled on this matter. The public now has all the facts, and it will be the judge of the Liberals’ actions in this affair.”