Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs announced she has ordered her department to abandon enforcement of the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (FNFTA). Last year 573 of Canada’s 581 aboriginal reserves complied with the Act and put their band council and audited financial statements online. So far this year 543 of them have complied. The federal government had taken eight bands to court to get them to comply. Ms. Bennett has ordered her department to withdraw these court cases and release any withheld funds to the law-breaking bands. A law with no consequences is a worthless law. Imagine if there was no legal consequence for theft. Imagine if there were no legal consequence for assault. As of today, there’s no consequence if a first nation decides to keep fundamental government information secret. Why would Minister Bennett deny reserve residents the right to know what their politicians are being paid? This is a right every other Canadian has. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation championed the introduction of the FNFTA because we had heard from dozens of aboriginal Canadians living on reserve that they had been threatened and black-balled for asking for something as simple as how much their chief and council were paid, or to see how the band council spent the band’s money. If not for the FNFTA, Canadians and band members of the Kwikwetlem first nation in British Columbia would have never known about the secret $800,000 payment the chief paid himself. In fact, fellow Kwikwetlem band councillor Marvin Joe told the National Post: “If it wasn’t for this new transparency act, I don’t think we ever would have known.” Dr. Bennett is also reviewing the FNFTA with an eye to fully repeal it.
There’s a reason they released this on a Friday afternoon before Christmas. They’re hoping Canadians will be too busy to take notice, let alone take action.
