MNC – Never a dull moment

The Métis National Council Assembly is quite a process and some of our new delegates have had their eyes open to the Ole Boys Club brand of politics.

The candidates nominated were:

Tony Belcourt
Clem Chartier
Bruce Dumont
Rick Laliberte

There were deals being cut and promises being made. There were old politicians and new green horns. I have been told that there were jobs promised, contracts made and issues unresolved.

Doucette and Poitras reported that Clem Chartier was being paid a handsome salary, $10,000 a year in apartment rent, $129 a day in meal allowance and 217 nights at $200/night in hotel costs. A rough tally would have our president paid at $86,000 per year in non-taxable benefits over his salary. There are letters from early last summer that were disclosed that identify many dollars in overpayments including David’s wife Glorian – these overpayments are to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Auditor Bernie Shore advised that he did not see the letters until just prior to the meeting even though the dates on the letters were from June or July.

The finances reported a 3.5 million dollar deficit with the bills still coming in, no staff and no commitment for government bailouts.

Oh yea – not to forget Clem also has a $300,000 lawsuit against the Métis National Council that he can now potentially pay himself – if he can find any money and he can put forward for back pay and expenses since October when he was no longer paid as the President. He calls these his damages.

He does not have to call a Board of Governor meeting for the next three years while he is President elect and he can continue to run the place into the ground. Now based on the unresolved issues – how will he make those job and contract commitments? – it should all be interesting and when will the promises be collected?

His campaign speech was about getting Paul Martin elected as the Liberal leader, a Powley decison that happened prior to his leadership and how good he is at writing Prime Minister Harper a letter that had five points in it some two or three years ago. He promised he will now do a follow up to the letter from then. Sounds like we are well on our way to an outstanding National Leader. Hope you are all feeling hopeful.

There is a star at the end of this tunnel – it is time for a real Métis Nation of Canada – with a constitution, a democracy and real leaders who are supported by the grassroots Métis people. Let the existing Board of Governors clean up the mess they have created and the rest of us can work to build a nation – at home in the Métis homeland – with real Métis values - where it belongs.