Is Someone Keeping Count?

Let us take a tally of the actions:

The first lawsuit that David and Clem filed cost the Métis people – the Canadian Taxpayers through Federal Resources in excess of $90,000 as was reported by one of the Board of Governors. The court injunction said the Board of Govorners was not allowed to meet until an election was hosted for the President. The election was slated for mid October. David Chartrand could not count on getting Clem elected with the voting delegates at the assembly so he phyla-busted the meeting and we went back to square one. No election, no leader, no direction, no meeting and we are in worst shape then ever. Government says no money – in fact they are getting very nervous under their accountability measures at the Federal dollars being used in vexatious lawsuits which do not meet the stink test for the contribution agreements that have been signed by MNC. We have to lay off staff and have only a couple of people wrapping up remaining agreements.

There was more credit extended to pay the staff out the severance, holiday pay and overtime commitments that they had. But now I need to ask – Did David and Clem come into a new win fall? – They have filed another frivolous law suit that is requesting that the court put Clem in without the election meeting because it is detrimental to the organization not to have a President. (Please remember David claims he is doing this for democracy - now democracy is the Federal courts selecting our president for us!) The lawsuit is against the Métis National Council and the four other governing members. We do take note that David Chartrand has not bothered to send out a press release about more government dollars being used for this ongoing battle.

Detrimental to the Métis National Council – I would say that David and Clem are detrimental. How detrimental can you get when ongoing spending is only to garner more legal action against each other? – Where will the MNC get the money to keep Clem’s salary and outrageous expenses paid for – considering they laid off the staff three weeks ago? Detrimental to the nation is unanswered financial questions that Clem and David have yet to answer for. Detrimental is that they have not had an annual general assembly to account for their actions in over two years.

David indicated in a press release that had him quoted as saying, “The MMF is a small government with few resources. Manitoba intends to make this a battle of attrition. The government is trying to bleed us dry in the courts.” He also asked that, “I ask that Premier Doer bring his government’s harassment and persecution of Metis harvesters to an end,” said President Chartrand. “If he does not bring his government's regime of fear to a halt, it will not only cost Manitoba millions in wasted taxpayers’ dollars, it will also have immeasurable long term impacts on the Metis community.”

Now let's evaluate David’s own words – the MMF has few resources and is being bled dry in the courts – now who is responsible for bleeding us dry? It is hard to keep track but we have Yvon Dumont (he lost this one but is trying to appeal); we have the next action against Cybersmoke; then we have the him suing the other governing members of the Métis National Council. (Common theme – we sue our people and even though we have few resources – we keep suing our people.) So I must think his words mean our Métis government is bleeding us dry in courts and even if there are no results the lawyers get rich with this foolishness.

Now if we ask him what he asked of Premier Gary Doer – stop wasting tax payers dollars – do you think he will quit – even though in his words it will have immeasurable long term impacts on the Métis community? Things that make you go hmmmmm… Hypocrisy is alive and well with our Métis leader in MMF.