A request has been made to force Jason Kenny to testify in a lawsuit against his office

A request has been made to try to force Alberta Prime Minister Jason Kenny to testify in an ongoing case against his office by a former government official.

Ariela Kimmel is suing for wrongful dismissal, claiming she was fired in retaliation for trying to express concerns about what she claims is a toxic culture in the workplace that includes sexual harassment and heavy drinking.

The prime minister’s office denies repressive termination and says Kimmel was fired in accordance with her contract and had her own professionalism problems.

None of the allegations have been proven in court, and Prime Minister Jason Kenny has not been named.

The case is now in the discovery phase, including testimony and evidence. Kimmel’s lawyer, Catherine Marshall, asked for the prime minister to testify – and was told no.

“We are requesting a court order to force the prime minister to attend the interrogation because the government refused to produce it,” she told CBC News.

In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, they said they had not yet received a copy of the request.

“This is a matter for the court and we cannot comment further,” the statement said.

The trial will take place sometime this month and, if approved by a judge, will require Kenny to attend an interrogation on June 17. If he refuses to appear, he may be found to have contempt of court.

The lawsuit was filed in October and prompted the prime minister’s office to begin a third-party review of its HR staffing policies.

Jamie Pitel, Edmonton City Commissioner of Integrity and co-founder of Kingsgate Legal, was chosen to lead the work.

The prime minister’s office has promised that all new policies implemented as a result of its review will be made public. They have not set a deadline for this public review.

Kimmel’s legal team is currently trying to obtain a copy of the report.

“The government refuses to provide the report, which is the result of an investigation into breaches of government policies in the workplace, despite the fact that this investigation was launched as a direct result of Ms. Kimmel’s procedure and is very appropriate,” Marshall said.

“We will also submit a proposal for this report.”