An organization representing northern Manitoba First Nations welcomes Ottawa’s decision to stop enforcing a contentious transparency law.
The First Nations Financial Transparency Act had required bands to publicly release their annual financial information, including chief and councillor salaries.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett announced last week that the Liberal government would not enforce the law and would suspend court action against bands not in compliance, according to CBC.
That was good news for Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO).
“I think Dr. Carolyn Bennett and the government’s approach, if they’re going at it at a nation-to-nation basis, then it will be much more collaborative,” she told CBC, “and we’re willing to work with her government on this and see how we can make it work on both sides of the issue.”
The previous Conservative government enacted the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Among its opponents was Churchill-Keewatinook Aski MP Niki Ashton.
