Watchdog questions First Nation salaries

Watchdog questions First Nation salaries

www.winnipegsun.com

OTTAWA — Aboriginal band council salaries should be posted online "for all to see," says the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

This month, the group has released startling information about the salaries of several Prairie First Nation band council chiefs and leaders, who govern over a small number of members living on their reserves but draw large tax-free salaries.

On Wednesday, the CTF reported the four leaders of the 535 person Ochi-Chak-Ko-Sipi (Crane River) First Nation in Manitoba were paid the taxable equivalent of $106,000 to $144,000 each in 2008-2009, plus travel expenses, whi

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This has been happenig for so long its sickening already. I have respect for the First Nations Peoples, but no respect for the chiefs that lead their bands. Most of the first nations people live in squalor due to the poor mangement of their chiefs who steal the money instead of using it to help the band. The lands the reserves are on is beautiful and its stocked full of fish and wild game. The first nations should have used the millions and millions they have been given to develope resorts and lodges to caterer to rich american hunters and fishermen like all the rest of the world class lodges and resorts in Canada. Instead the money has literally been spent on squat, and I know this because I see the squalor every time I pass the reserve on the way to the lake.

Why o' why do we let this happen?



www.winnipegsun.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

They are no different then the rest of the people across Canada when they get into some form of power.
I find it funny how they target the Natives yet leave out the greed of the rest of our leaders.

If they are going to ask for their wages to be published online for all to see then I want to see EVERY business dealing from ALL people in power to be published as well as their wages.
Transparency is great but only if ALL of them from Ottawa to Indian reservations to your local Mayor are included.

reply to post by DrumsRfun


City council, Mayor, and Politician Salaries are very transparent and easy to access. Any perks or side-income they may make is harder to find out, but the pure retainer they are paid is very easily found on the applicable websites.

The same is not true with first nation bands, and the corruption has been going on for decades. It is nice to know that this transparency and accountability is demanded, especially in the eastern provinces where conditions on reserves are the worst.

Perhaps I am biased (my aunt is Haida), but Haida Gwaii seems to be one of the few aboriginal nations in this country that hasn't bowed its head in defeat and let its people rot in squalor. More of the native bands should look to them as an example, embracing their heritage (what little of it remains in some cases) and leveraging it for success, rather than allowing their leaders to build casino's and resorts that only benefit the chieftains and their non-native business partners.

reply to post by D.E.M.


Yes you are right,they are available,but not everything they do is on here.
Things like side deals,and shady things,that affect their tax brackets.
The things we don't get to read or know about.

I don't believe it is as transparent as I would like.
A lack of transparency,creates a lack of evidence is my opinion.

When it comes to the natives,I agree it is a touchy issue without a doubt.
I just find it odd to single out the natives corruption problem while ignoring the rest of Canada's leaders.
Its like the pot calling the kettle black.

In my city our mayor was aquitted of corruption charges because of a lack of evidence or as I say transparency.
Nobody knows what goes on behind closed doors.
I guess what I am saying,is this should be more then just a native issue.
Thanks for the reply.


[edit on 28-4-2010 by DrumsRfun]

Originally posted by DrumsRfun

When it comes to the natives,I agree it is a touchy issue without a doubt.
I just find it odd to single out the natives corruption problem while ignoring the rest of Canada's leaders.

No one is being singled out here, every Canadian city has greedy corruption scandles on a regular basis. Business as usual eh?

Originally posted by DrumsRfun
I guess what I am saying,is this should be more then just a native issue.

I think the difference is that the funds sent to the first nations people is basically welfare. The vast majority on reserves have no jobs and live off the bands allowance to each family, which is apparently $10,000 to $20,000 a year. Greedy politicals at least do run our government and keep things moving, whereas the band chiefs seem content to let their people live in squalor while they (the chiefs) pay themselves more than the PM of Canada as if they deserve it.

reply to post by FreeSpeaker


Yes it is welfare you are right and it is killing thier culture.
I have talked about this with an inuit friend of mine and he admits that they don't hunt or fish all the time like they used to,they do it when the money runs out.

They are a passenger on this train and not the drivers and never even wanted a ticket to begin with.

Your article is pure propaganda.


We have ghettos in Canada and turn a blind eye to alot of that stuff.
Its the same thing as what your article is saying but instead the people in power turn a blind eye to that instead.
We have kids who go to school hungry and many homeless yet the natives are the boogieman in this article??
To point fingers at a few corrupt natives is an absolute joke in the grand scheme of things when you think of the people who gave them the money and what they themselves do.

If you want to bring the PM into this then I will ask...remember the Mulrony airbus scandel??
Now go back to how we have starving children and homeless people but he walks away scott free with millions??
Same thing isn't it??

Remember what they used to say when invading countries and nations??
They were there to civilize them.
According to thier standards they weren't civilized unless they needed government handouts??


I say again..if you want transparency then you shouldn't ask people to do something you can't successfully do yourself first.





[edit on 28-4-2010 by DrumsRfun]

Originally posted by DrumsRfun

Your article is pure propaganda.

We have ghettos in Canada and turn a blind eye to alot of that stuff.
Its the same thing as what your article is saying but instead the people in power turn a blind eye to that instead.
We have kids who go to school hungry and many homeless yet the natives are the boogieman in this article??
To point fingers at a few corrupt natives is an absolute joke in the grand scheme of things when you think of the people who gave them the money and what they themselves do.

I say again..if you want transparency then you shouldn't ask people to do something you can't successfully do yourself first.

[edit on 28-4-2010 by DrumsRfun]

Maybe read the full article and take a few moments to think it over next time. Here's a quote you may have missed.

The Federation said they have been receiving "brown envelopes" from concerned band members about the leaders' salaries, and are calling on the government to act.

The ones making complaints and demanding action are band members. How dare those band members point fingers at their corrupt band chiefs, and what gives them the right to demand action from the government?