A territorial MLA sentenced to 45 days in jail for assault will stand for re-election after being released early.
Michael Nadli, the 51-year-old MLA for the Deh Cho, was sent to jail and suspended from his post on October 15. In April, he broke his spouse’s wrist during an assault in his home community of Fort Providence.
Nadli, who was also convicted of assault in 2004, would have been unable to stand in November’s territorial election had he remained in jail.
However, he successfully applied for early release after just eight days of his 45-day sentence, which gives him time to file his papers with Elections NWT before Friday’s deadline.
Elections NWT: Full list of candidates standing in November’s election
“I have honestly admitted my error, I have taken full responsibility for my actions and, with the support of my family and friends, I have been very engaged in counselling,” said Nadli in a statement on Tuesday.
“I am deeply sorry and I truly wish the incident never happen [sic]. I won’t hesitate to take my actions back in an instant. However, with the support of the community, I have been able to put this matter behind me and continue the focus on helping the people and communities of the Deh Cho.”
Nadli’s statement made no specific mention of his spouse and referred to April’s events only as an “incident with law”.
Elections NWT had yet to confirm receipt of Nadli’s papers by Wednesday morning. At the time of writing, the only registered candidate for the Deh Cho riding was Ronald Bonnetrouge.
