The Things That Get Government Funding That Don’t Meet The Stink Test

The Federal and Provincial laws in this country do not let government tax dollars be outwardly used for political campaigns. But in the Métis world the governments of this country are gullible. There is a newsletter in Alberta called Métis Matters that is produced by the Vice President of Alberta and his wife. This is a political campaign document that is used to present misinformation and smear campaigns to further his own political career. Why should government tax dollars fund a Métis politicians campaign?

Métis Matters receives funding from the Alberta Government’s department of Alberta International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations and the federal government’s Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non Status Indians. Even though Trevor is already paid in excess of $50,000.00 annually (not including his large travel expenses) out of the tax payers purse, receiving lucrative honorariums for being the chair of the Northern Lakes College – he is now receiving government funds to run his campaign. Even though this political rag is publicly funded – there is no accounting for the resources that they receive.

This same man wants accountability from the leaders of our community but does not see himself living up to the ideals he set for others. He wants to talk about the cash flow problems at the Métis Nation of Alberta but does not come clean about why those cash flow problems exist. Firstly, approximately a million dollars of the deficit is a result of the Provincial Council’s salaries, travel expenses and other costs associated with their existence. Now for a man that is concerned about deficits – he has not forgone the costs associated with his expenses. Do not mistake this for the work he does for the Métis in Alberta – he never attends meetings – he never goes to the office and participates in things that will let the Métis Nation move forward on their priorities – he never works with the government to negotiate new agreements – in fact – most people would be hard pressed to know what he is doing other then trying to position himself in front of a camera for the perfect photo opportunity.

When he presents the cash flow issue of the Métis Nation of Alberta – he fails to mention that he has been one of the key factors to the cash flow issues – where he is worried that President Poitras is an unbeatable incumbent in the next election – so he has waged his war with the Provincial and Federal government to have them withhold the core funding, program funding and community funding. Now in his mind – this is to hurt one individual politically – with no thought about how it impacts our community. The Alberta Government had negotiated agreements with the involvement of our Provincial Métis Council over the past two years to assist us with the development of Métis policies in relation to consulting us on industry development, they have tried to bring the Métis into the discussions and solutions around homelessness and inadequate housing, in the area of Children Services and our families being impacted with the Child Welfare system, the education of our Métis children and economic development opportunities of the Métis people. The MNA provincial council were involved in the evaluation and review of these programs to develop a newly signed Framework Agreement. Lawyers were involved in insuring that the agreement was in the best interest of the Métis people and that it would not violate who we were. Trevor and his buddies have made off to the Alberta government that they do not know about the agreement and are demanding that the Alberta government withhold the contribution agreement for us to move forward on these important initiatives.

Trevor was given the portfolio of land when he was re-elected in 2005. The government of Alberta committed $250,000 to complete a province wide consultation for the Métis to on Land Use and the issues that effect the Métis. Trevor did not bother to attend meetings with the government and follow through with the consultations. In the eleventh hour the government went back to President Poitras and asked her what they should do because Trevor dropped the ball. On the surface it may not have seemed that important but it was the consultation that would have the Métis involved in establishing policies that would assist us in protecting crown lands for our traditional life, protecting the plants and medicines, ensuring that we minimize the damage that Métis trappers, hunters and fisherman experience because of industry development. It also would identify the future opportunity to train Métis youth to be environmentalists, land stewards, and protectors of the wildlife and plant life that sustains many Métis families. Audrey removed Trevor’s portfolio and has tried to keep the Métis Nation staff focused on this project that had to be completed this week so that there would be some focus on the issues that effect Métis, Trevor has not even attended one of the consultations and when he was on the governments committee that he was paid on – did not even ensure that their was viable presentations made by our Métis elders, trappers, hunters or loggers. He was too busy collecting off the tax payers purse with no results.

Trevor was the Vice President for Region 5 for six years – his claim to fame in that six years was nothing. He is now going on six years that he has been the Vice President of the provincial board and other then sucking the Canadian Tax payers dry his achievements have been nothing. We are launching a campaign to write letter to Guy Boutilier, Minister of Alberta International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations and Minister Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and tell them to stop funding Métis Matters, the Political Campaign Rag Sheet of Trevor Gladue’s. We also encourage you to write letters to Alberta’s Premier, Ed Stelmach and inform him to remove Trevor from representing Métis on all future committees and task forces with the Alberta Government. Trevor only represents himself and does not want to do any more for the Métis people then funnel money to himself through the public purse. Our Métis forefathers were proud people who worked hard to earn an honest living and did not have to exploit us for their own gain.