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Kevin Gaudet and Colin Craig: How much is a First Nations chief worth?

Posted: May 05, 2010, 3:34 PM by NP Editor

It is high time some light were shed upon the pay and perks of the elected officials on First Nations reserves. Currently, many band chiefs and elected council members are refusing to disclose how much they earn. Instead, they set their own pay in secret and often hide the information from their own people. How can the citizens of Canada’s aboriginal communities judge whether they get value for money from their leadership if the leaders are hiding how much they pay themselves? It is time this changed. While the federal government’s website clearly states that band members have the right to receive annual documents which detail chief and council salaries, travel and honouraria, many band members often report being rebuffed, threatened and intimidated when they ask their bands for this information.

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