The independent MLA for Cape Breton-Richmond says she has regained access to her constituency office.
Alana Paon was locked out of her St. Peter’s office in September; the landlord of the building changed the locks due to lack of payments.
She says provincial officials sent her lawyer a letter to say they would pay back rent to the end of October.
Paon tells The Hawk they signed the lease agreement with the landlord, so they were obligated to pay.
“I never did move from my original stance right from the get-go- I was being asked to do something for which I was not in agreement,” she says. “They made it out to seem like they were reimbursing me for rent, as if I was making the payments- I’ve never made payments on 4 MacAskill Dr. in any way, it’s always come directly from the province, (because) the province holds the lease.”
Paon says she, her constituents and her staff members regained access to the office Monday.
She says it’s been a difficult situation.
“It’s been very painful, to be pretty frank,” she says. “It’s been a very painful process to have been put through all summer long- it’s been very stressful.”
Paon was booted from the Tory caucus in June.
At the time, Tim Houston, the party’s leader, said refusal to make her office meet accessibility standards was the final straw.
