The government of the Northwest Territories is going after an employee it believes leaked emails.

The emails revealed newly elected Member of the Legislative Assembly Daryl Dolynny attempted to clear a personal debt to the government in exchange for information he felt would damage a government employee.

An investigator called the CBC News last week and asked about the source of the emails.

The investigator said two government employees were being investigated, but only one of them – the one the MLA tried to smear – is really a target.

Dolynny said the information would help end William Turner's court challenge of the government's affirmative action policy.

Paul Thomas is professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, specializing in public sector ethics.

"He seems to have been suffering from an ethical deficit, and he seems to be mixing his private interests with the public interest in a way that's inappropriate," Thomas said.

Thomas said the Northwest Territories is one of the few jurisdictions yet to enact a law to protect so-called whistleblowers – government employees who shed light on wrongdoing.

The president of the Union of Northern Workers, Todd Parsons, said the territory needs it.

Range Lake MLA Daryl Dolynny is at the centre of an investigation into alleged whistleblower, Business Development and Investment Corporation employee William Turner.

"There's no set avenues for employees working for the government of the Northwest Territories to resolve what might be moral, ethical, something that might be inappropriate that they might become aware of by way of their job," Parsons said.

Parsons said he's heard from many government employees wondering what they can do to correct wrongdoing.

He said he always warns them the government strictly enforces an oath of confidentiality, even if leaks would reveal unethical or illegal activity.