By Nigel Maxwell

Salary of local chief put in spotlight

Mar 16, 2011 | 5:39 PM

According to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a Prince Albert area First Nations chief made almost as much money last year as the American President.

The financial numbers were disclosed in an email sent to the CTF from a concerned band member with the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation.

The document shows that for the last fiscal year, Chief Darrell McCallum's travel expenses were over $230,000. Combined with his salary he made close to $336,000. In the year previous, he made almost $236,000.

In comparison, President Obama made $400,000.

Colin Craig with the federation said the numbers appear accurate.

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“Well we know that the '08, ’09 numbers happen to match up with some data we received from the Federal Government. And certainly the 2009-10 numbers look to be accurate as well. I don't think someone would go through the trouble of doing all this as a hoax,” said Craig.

“You know there is sort of a grey area there where you have to ask what should a chief make and I don’t have the magic answer for that. But when you make the numbers transparent to the public, then local band members can decide if they want to pay their chief X amount or Y amount.”

In comparison to other Saskatchewan chiefs, Craig said McCallum is making quite a bit more.

McCallum said that he is not sure if some of the numbers are accurate, but within the next two weeks he is going to all the locations in the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and will provide the audited financial statements.

“I, as chief, am prepared to go to every community and explain where everything is at in terms of finance,” McCallum said.

He added that these concerns have only come out in the last two weeks and not during his two-year term.

“It would be nice if people came out more at community public meetings, which I regularly host in the communities. That’s the time and place to really bring out the right questions.”

Those public meeting are held every quarter.

When asked why travel expenses appear to be so big, McCallum said consideration has to be taken into the size of the area he serves.

“Some chiefs that look after only one reserve have been spending in the area of anywhere between $200,000 to $250,000. I’m close to the $300,000 mark. There are eight communities to service and it’s a lot of travel back and forth.”

He added there is also expense related to the travel is honoraria that goes to Elders for attending meetings or for emergencies within different communities.

“It’s a very big geographical area … a couple years ago we had an MP that was questioned on spending over $300,000 for the Churchill River riding. Well I’m half of that riding and it’s expensive.”

A private parliamentary members’ bill that would force all chiefs and councils to disclose how much money they make is currently at the committee stage.

McCallum said he has no problem submitting his salary, honorarium and travel expenses to the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, but questions why each chief should be accountable to all of Canada.

“Why am I being accountable to B.C., Alberta … let’s keep a Bill that specifically makes chiefs be accountable to their own First Nation.”

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