(ಠ_ಠ)РаОÑа
2014-08-12 01:55:43 UTC
Why should Canadians NOT know how much the native leaders in this
country are being paid? They're being paid by us, the taxpayers.
If I want to know how much of my money is being used for any particular
program or by any particular politician, I have a right to know.
And, considering that we have a very quickly-growing 'indian status'
group growing, with the addition of Metis being included now, I really
want to know how much of our tax dollars are flowing to that one segment
of our society, based solely on their race and culture.
Why would Justin Trudeau be against us knowing?
_________________________________________________________
http://www.thestar.com/ Monday, August 11, 2014
Tories slam Justin Trudeau for siding with First Nations over
transparency law
The Conservative government slammed Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on
Monday over his musings about repealing a new transparency law for First
Nations communities.
OTTAWA—The Conservative government slammed Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau
on Monday over his musings about repealing a new transparency law for
First Nations communities.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt says Trudeau was choosing
the side of First Nations leaders who would keep “basic financial
information hidden from their communities and from Canadian taxpayers.”
The legislation requires elected First Nations leaders to disclose
details of salaries and financial information about their operations.
“We put this legislation in place to empower community members and
ensure that they are informed of their community’s financial situation,”
Valcourt said in a statement.
“The fact that Justin Trudeau would give opponents of transparency and
accountability an easy way out is an affront to the community members
and taxpayers this act is intended to serve.”
Since a July 29 deadline passed for posting their financial information,
about half of the nearly 600 First Nations communities affected by the
law, have declined to submit their reports. Most communities that
released their information revealed modest salaries for elected
officials, with a few exceptions, including Kwikwetlem First Nation
Chief Ron Giesbrecht, who earned more than $900,000 last year.
First Nations leaders have publicly mused about blockades or other
tactics such as legal challenges to protest the bill after Valcourt
threatened to withhold federal funding for communities that don’t submit
their reports within 120 days.
Trudeau told the Vancouver Sun in an interview published Monday that he
wouldn’t keep the legislation, and would instead work with First Nations
leaders to create a “proper accountability act” that discloses excessive
pay, while respecting the communities.
Liberal MP and aboriginal affairs critic Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s)
noted that when her party was in government, it signed an agreement with
First Nations, the Kelowna Accord, that promoted accountability through
the creation of a special auditor general for aboriginal communities.
“There was a plan that had been designed that this government tore up
and then replaced with this bad bill that nobody liked,” said Bennett.
Chief Sharon Stinson Henry, who leads the Rama First Nation in Ontario,
said her community has complied with the legislation but may challenge
it in court. She explained that mandatory disclosure of its financial
records for private businesses such as its Casino Rama resort, creates
an “unequal playing field” when it’s negotiating contracts with other
companies.
“It is neither proper nor respectful of Canada’s relationship with First
Nations to legislate the production of own source business financials,
which are for the information of our own citizens (or) shareholders
only,” said Stinson Henry, noting that detailed audited and unaudited
reports are shared with her citizens semi-annually.
NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) said
everyone agrees transparency is important, provided that all elected
leaders are facing the same scrutiny.
“First Nations chiefs and councils are being held to a different
standard than even federal politicians are held to,” said the British
Columbia MP. “So they’re having to reveal stuff that the rest of us
don’t have to reveal.”
For example, she noted federal politicians are required to submit other
business interests outside of their jobs as elected officials, leaving
it up to a conflict of interest commissioner to decide what gets published.
But she said there were no guidelines, under the new federal law, about
whether income generated from private and non-government sources, should
be disclosed for First Nations leaders.
Crowder added that the government should consult with First Nations to
fix the problem.
“I haven’t heard any First Nations tell me that they like this
legislation,” said Crowder. “So I would assume that either people would
want it amended or would want it repealed and a better piece of
legislation put in place. But I can’t presume what those outcomes would
be until you do the consultations.”
country are being paid? They're being paid by us, the taxpayers.
If I want to know how much of my money is being used for any particular
program or by any particular politician, I have a right to know.
And, considering that we have a very quickly-growing 'indian status'
group growing, with the addition of Metis being included now, I really
want to know how much of our tax dollars are flowing to that one segment
of our society, based solely on their race and culture.
Why would Justin Trudeau be against us knowing?
_________________________________________________________
http://www.thestar.com/ Monday, August 11, 2014
Tories slam Justin Trudeau for siding with First Nations over
transparency law
The Conservative government slammed Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau on
Monday over his musings about repealing a new transparency law for First
Nations communities.
OTTAWA—The Conservative government slammed Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau
on Monday over his musings about repealing a new transparency law for
First Nations communities.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt says Trudeau was choosing
the side of First Nations leaders who would keep “basic financial
information hidden from their communities and from Canadian taxpayers.”
The legislation requires elected First Nations leaders to disclose
details of salaries and financial information about their operations.
“We put this legislation in place to empower community members and
ensure that they are informed of their community’s financial situation,”
Valcourt said in a statement.
“The fact that Justin Trudeau would give opponents of transparency and
accountability an easy way out is an affront to the community members
and taxpayers this act is intended to serve.”
Since a July 29 deadline passed for posting their financial information,
about half of the nearly 600 First Nations communities affected by the
law, have declined to submit their reports. Most communities that
released their information revealed modest salaries for elected
officials, with a few exceptions, including Kwikwetlem First Nation
Chief Ron Giesbrecht, who earned more than $900,000 last year.
First Nations leaders have publicly mused about blockades or other
tactics such as legal challenges to protest the bill after Valcourt
threatened to withhold federal funding for communities that don’t submit
their reports within 120 days.
Trudeau told the Vancouver Sun in an interview published Monday that he
wouldn’t keep the legislation, and would instead work with First Nations
leaders to create a “proper accountability act” that discloses excessive
pay, while respecting the communities.
Liberal MP and aboriginal affairs critic Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s)
noted that when her party was in government, it signed an agreement with
First Nations, the Kelowna Accord, that promoted accountability through
the creation of a special auditor general for aboriginal communities.
“There was a plan that had been designed that this government tore up
and then replaced with this bad bill that nobody liked,” said Bennett.
Chief Sharon Stinson Henry, who leads the Rama First Nation in Ontario,
said her community has complied with the legislation but may challenge
it in court. She explained that mandatory disclosure of its financial
records for private businesses such as its Casino Rama resort, creates
an “unequal playing field” when it’s negotiating contracts with other
companies.
“It is neither proper nor respectful of Canada’s relationship with First
Nations to legislate the production of own source business financials,
which are for the information of our own citizens (or) shareholders
only,” said Stinson Henry, noting that detailed audited and unaudited
reports are shared with her citizens semi-annually.
NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) said
everyone agrees transparency is important, provided that all elected
leaders are facing the same scrutiny.
“First Nations chiefs and councils are being held to a different
standard than even federal politicians are held to,” said the British
Columbia MP. “So they’re having to reveal stuff that the rest of us
don’t have to reveal.”
For example, she noted federal politicians are required to submit other
business interests outside of their jobs as elected officials, leaving
it up to a conflict of interest commissioner to decide what gets published.
But she said there were no guidelines, under the new federal law, about
whether income generated from private and non-government sources, should
be disclosed for First Nations leaders.
Crowder added that the government should consult with First Nations to
fix the problem.
“I haven’t heard any First Nations tell me that they like this
legislation,” said Crowder. “So I would assume that either people would
want it amended or would want it repealed and a better piece of
legislation put in place. But I can’t presume what those outcomes would
be until you do the consultations.”