Aboriginal politicians earn higher salaries than Prime Minister

The Canadian Taxpayers Association is trying to uncover what First Nation Chiefs pay themselves. A number of complaints have come from First Nation members themselves - many who survive on very little and wonder where all the money goes. Chief Atleo, who earns over $138,000 tax free dollars in wages says while transparency would be nice, it would take too much effort to report.

Here is one of many articles appearing in Canadian newspapers.

winnipegfreepress.com/local/ … 38973.html

This article appeared in the Calgary Herald and includes a list of Chief salaries and Honorariums for 2009.

theglobeandmail.com/news/pol … le1761967/

Yes, okay, some of those FN politicians are paid an awful lot; but then a discussion where everybody just agrees with conventional wisdom isn’t that interesting. So before any of you puke on your shoes, I’ve just got a couple of questions, strictly as devil’s advocate.

How much of the money shown on the list originates from federal sources, and how much comes from those bands’ own revenue? The federal government reports how much they’re paid; not where the money comes from. Can anyone out there tell us how much is from federal sources? Or is everyone just assuming that it’s 100% taxpayers money? Quite a few bands these days have their own businesses and sources of revenue. I’m just asking by the way, just in case anyone happens to know.

I would also like to call attention to the 82 chiefs who did not receive any honouraria (most received travel expenses, which is not surprising considering the isolation of many reserves). I think that they are good role models. The chief who was paid $134 should get an honourable mention.

Now, I wish that I still had the source, but I distinctly remember that two Rupert city council members got about $10K each last year for sitting on the Regional District board. That board, as I understand it, meets once a month, so the average pay would be about $800 a day each. Of course, they wouldn’t meet for whole days, more likely just a few hours (including the meetings that the public is excluded from). That’s all taxpayers money. The province gives grants for electoral area directors, since their tax bases are often very small, but that’s not the case for city-appointed directors.

Now $800 for attending a part-day meeting seems to me to be pretty good coin. Maybe I’ve got my facts wrong, in which case someone will jump to the board’s defence and provide us with better information. Or maybe my facts are pretty much correct, and everyone’s okay with those rates of pay. Or maybe, as on quite a few civic issues, citizens have been pretty much in the dark and haven’t been able to form an opinion as of yet.

You can find a fair bit of financial information on the INAC website if you poke around a bit.

This link will get you to Gitgatlaa’s Audited Financial Statements.

pse5-esd5.ainc-inac.gc.ca/fnp/Ma … 2&lang=eng

Unlike the legal requirements for provincial and municipal governments there isn’t any federal legal requirement to publish Statements of Financial Information for First Nations Bands. Such a requirement would provide a list of the compensation of elected officials and the total payment to each vendors in excess of a specificed amount. The federal government could pass legislation that would mandate it, but they have not. Instead they cite privacy concerns and a 1988 ruling by the courts.

Personally I liked the attitude of the guy who has been the Chief of a Fraser Valley Band on and off for about 20 years. In that time, he hasn’t drawn a cent in salary. He is a successful business man and believes that the federal funding needs to be spent on FN health and education. (I can’t find the article, so I can’t give a link)

My last comment is that under existing legislation, if a person has First Nations status, they do not pay income tax on wages earned on a reserve. So the $60,000 reported by INAC as being the average salary, would actually be worth about $90,000 if it was earned off reserve and taxes were paid.

cra-arc.gc.ca/brgnls/stts-eng.html#heading3

Calvin Helin has written a pretty good book about some of the issues facing First Nations Bands. You might want to peruse it.

[quote=“Pantagruel”]
Calvin Helin has written a pretty good book about some of the issues facing First Nations Bands. You might want to peruse it.[/quote]

LMAO, calling the kettle black!

Heard an interesting interview on CBC Radio with former Alberta Judge Reilly. Reilly reports in his book, Bad Medicine, FN Chief corruption on the Stoney Reserve near Edmonton as a central reason for poverty and other problems on reserves. This Chief may be purposely keeping the people on the reserve poor and uneducated in order to ensure his own well-being and to develop a family dynasty. This type of problem is supposedly commonplace in Canada.

“This type of problem is supposedly commonplace in Canada”

Especially in Ottawa, not just FN have chiefs…

Two SK FN Councilors just jailed for stealing and spending their bands Land Claim money. Many millions of dollars. Too bad for the members.

Skeena-Queen Charlotte regional directors are paid about $10K a year for attending a meeting once a month, ie about $800 per meeting. Too bad for Rupert taxpayers who pick up about most of the tab. At least one island mayor is paid more as a regional director than for being mayor. Perhaps more attention should be paid to what happens in our own back yard.

First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) is forced by Canadian University Associations to disband Board of Directors - consisting of Chiefs- students face loss of credits earned and university risks loosing funding and standing. Reasons: corruption and management and fiscal irregularities.

How big is this back-yard allowed to be?

[quote=“dailymews”]First Nations University of Canada (FNUC) is forced by Canadian University Associations to disband Board of Directors - consisting of Chiefs- students face loss of credits earned and university risks loosing funding and standing. Reasons: corruption and management and fiscal irregularities.

How big is this back-yard allowed to be?[/quote]

It can be as big as you want. Stories from SK are fascinating. But best not to ignore the back yards that we pay property taxes on. Rupert represents 75.5% of the tax base of the regional district. What do we get for that? For that matter, how much do we pay? Does anyone know? Here, go to this link and see if you have better luck than I did trying to find some answers: sqcrd.bc.ca/

Corruption and greed occurs everywhere, this current system of INAC and the First Nations dependancy on it was built on greed and corruption.
The traditional ways of governance were destroyed by it and the result is any person can have a “feast” and call themselves Chief and have outside governments believe them.
I just think to, IMO, refer to some of these people as Chiefs, is a stretch, especially when they have not been raised to be Chief, this is a position you are born into, and prepared for over a lifetime.
Any so-called Chief that steals and lies is not what a real Chief represents.

“Any so-called Chief that steals and lies is not what a real Chief represents”

Truer words have not been spoken. There were a number of ways of becoming a chief in FN cultures. There were the heriditary chiefs, elected chiefs and those who became chief by brute force. Most FN have hereditary chiefs, which may, or may not rule the band. I know of few instances either way where the chief has sole cheque signing authority, so there’s always more than one dirty diaper in the pail.

As chiefdave says, “Corruption and greed occurs everywhere.” And rarely is the instigator lonely.

But in defence of our people, dropping multi-million budgets into the hands of people without formal financial education and experience, people with EXTREMELY limited financial experience was a no-win situation. It would be just like throwing your truck keys to a six year old kid and expecting him not to crash. Who do you think he’s going to ask to ride along? His family and friends. The six year old’s not wrong, he’s not stupid, the idiot that threw him the keys before he was mature and trained properly is!

The good news is that there are lots more FN youth waking up and answering the call to leadership. They are getting the education and experience they need to compete in a global marketplace, developing an eagle’s vision to see international trickery and deception, and to be able to protect FN people from it. The bad news is that some of the people still in charge really shouldn’t be in charge … some yet … some never.

Leadership is not simple and it does not matter a dime what culture you come from. Look at our city and district leadership as an example. Sad huh? Some should plainly just never be in this position as they have neither the integrity nor the skills. What is poignant about the plight of First Nations people is the members sound the alarm about corruption and abuse but have no ability to address the wrong-doings without retribution from the Chief and his other power minions. I also have no faith in hereditary leadership either. Prince Charles will be a natural good leader because of his birthright and upbringing? I think not. This may well be the worst example of leadership ever created by mankind. Think a moment about divine right (privileged births) and I am sure you will see this is a terrible idea invented by people in power who desire to retain power for their good not the common good. Bad or poor leaders need to be pointed out and removed. No matter who they are.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has compiled data that shows some aboriginal politicians earn higher salaries than Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Colin Craig, the federation’s director for the Prairie region, said it took more than a year to get the salary figures from the Department of Indian Affairs.
“People want to keep this hush-hush,” said Craig.
The data shows that 222 aboriginal chiefs and counselors from First Nations communities across Canada earn more money than their provincial premiers, and 82 make more than the prime minister.
“There’s a pretty atrocious example coming from [the] Maritimes, $978,000 tax-free … for someone off-reserve,” said Craig. "That’s for a community of about 304 people. "It’s disgusting this is going on in Canada."
The taxpayers federation wants aboriginal leaders to post their salaries online so they are publicly available.
Solange Garson, an aboriginal woman living in northern Manitoba, has been pushing for audits, budgets and financial statements from band councils. “We want to know where all the money is going,” said Garson.
Ron Evans, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said he is disturbed and surprised to see the numbers. Evans says he earned $78,000 when he was chief of a northern Manitoba First Nation; now, he earns $115,000 tax-free.
Evans said there are many chiefs earning less than $60,000 a year with no pensions when they retire or are voted out of office.
“If a few are making more than premiers and the prime minister, then nobody supports that, but it’s up to those communities to change that,” said Evans.
The issue came up in the House of Commons Monday as Conservative MP Kelly Block introduced a private member’s bill that would force First Nations leaders to reveal their salaries and other income and benefits.
The Liberals meantime say they’d like to see the government create a First Nations auditor general to help make aboriginal politicians more accountable.
NDP aboriginal affairs critic Jean Crowder said the Conservative transparency bill calls for more information than is required by other levels of government and would need amendments before she supports it.
“A small percentage of people are making a lot of money,” she said. “Those communities have to hold them accountable and vote them out.”

and yet their people live in poverty… then the leaders have the balls to blame the rest of canada for their societies ills… Maybe if some of the money given to natives went to those who need it instead of these greedy pigs there wouldnt be such a problem

People who live in, and off these communities live in fear of a few powerful family members. Employment and housing is based upon the whim of these leaders so people keep quiet and suffer. Funds are diverted from important health, housing, social and education programs to the pockets of these family members. How will these leaders built trust? You might want to ask how members of these families can afford such grand houses in town and in the rather pricey market of Vancouver.

This story is going viral.

Time to come clean chiefs.

[quote=“dailymews”]This story is going viral.

Time to come clean chiefs.[/quote]

Seems to be correct. See Glooscap Band in NS story carried by Calgary Herald - fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 … -reserves/ An interesting comment is made in Lesson 5 is that Canada could pay individual members directly rather than sending block funding to Chief and Council - the privileged few families. By doing this the individual member can escape subjugation of and by their Chief and Council.

Some have houses in this area,their village and also in areas like Vancouver and other rich areas. I know of a few here who I heard are under investigation.