It does not sound like Craig James or Gary Lenz can count on returning to work at the legislature according to at least one member of the Legislative Assembly Management Committee.

Surrey-Guilford NDP MLA Gary Begg, who was a career RCMP officer before entering politics, says barring a major defence from the pair he cannot see any possibility they will reclaim their old jobs as Clerk and Sergeant at Arms.

“I think we have committed as part of the LAMC committee to taking a look at their continued employment based purely on the information that has been surfaced by the Speaker. I am anxious to hear if they have a defence but in the absence of such an alternate view or defence I think you will see that we will move swiftly to deal with their employment status.”

Begg was asked if he feels anything in the bombshell report from the Speaker this week will result in criminal charges.

“I am very confident that there will be criminal charges laid as a result of some of this activity. It is important as well I think to recognize that some of this will be just bad business practice and malfeasance on the part of the implicated individuals. This is behaviour, activity, and performance that in any workplace would be deemed to be unacceptable and inappropriate.”

Begg says an outside audit should go back to at least 2011.

“The scope of the audit should be unfettered. We should allow auditors, forensic auditors who are used to doing their job free and open access to everything that they deem appropriate in their professional opinion. As too far as how far it should go back in my mind it should go back to at least the time the current Clerk was appointed to his position.”

Craig James was appointed to the position of Clerk in late 2011.

Both James and Lenz are alleged to have abused expenses, engaged in other financial improprieties, misappropriated legislative property, and potentially fired any whistleblowers according to the 76 page report tabled by Speaker Darryl Plecas.