By Nigel Maxwell

Tempers flare over Métis funding freeze

Oct 3, 2014 | 11:49 AM

The federal government says it will cease funding to the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) starting in November, due to the organization breaching a funding agreement signed earlier this year. 

Under the terms of the agreement, the MN-S was to hold a legislative assembly by the end of September.  The deadline has now passed, and no assembly has been held.

Vice-president Gerald Morin blames President Robert Doucette for the funding being cut, saying Doucette signed the agreement without the board’s knowledge.

“We’re more than willing to have a legislative assembly however as a board of directors of the organizations, we have a responsibility to ensure that the finances and administration are in place, that we have the information, and none of that is happening,” said Morin.

At a board meeting earlier this year that Doucette was at, a decision was made to remove 12 board members. The meeting was later found unconstitutional by a Court Queen’s Bench judge, and therefore all the decisions made at the meeting were null and void.

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“All of this stuff has to be straightened out before we are in a position to go to our legislative assembly, otherwise if we go to one now it’s all going to be one big fight and it’s not going to accomplish anything,” said Morin.

Morin said under their constitution, there should be a board meeting every two months and that has not had happened.  The last time a board meeting was held, where all the members attended, was in February 2013.

Doucette told paNOW on Thursday that he has made every effort to meet with the board to set a date for an assembly, but for whatever reason board members failed to show up, and they could not get quorum.

Doucette has scheduled a new meeting for Oct. 11, at which time he is hoping to set a date for an assembly.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell