55 First Nations risk losing funding for not complying with transparency law

I'm surprised that the Sawridge band isn't complying. They have a very big business off reserve, and the band does very well for itself.

The Chipewayan and Cold Lake bands don't surprise me. I'll bet there is a lot of money hidden in places the band members won't like it hidden.

Then there's the fact that more than a few band members will be none too happy to see where their money is going. While they live in third world squalor many of the chief and council live like lords and ladies in their Bannock Republics.

Sawridge (as well as a couple other non-Alberta bands) is not complying precisely because of the off reserve business'.

They don't feel that they should have to provide the off reserve business financial paperwork, but the government disagrees because federal money was used for those business'.

I can understand them not wanted to give the information to the government... what I mean is that they have at least an excuse not to, they can justify it to the band members... but they have absolutely no reason to withhold that information from the other band members.

Good, cut the lying cheating bastards off. You can bet Trudeau will be in there sucking their d$cks defending their rights.

Can't stand the light of day, eh?

Surprise, surprise.

I think some of you guys are looking at this the wrong way.

Yes, 52 (source has been amended) bands have not complied.

But, (and for once, a good but!) that means that means that 530 have complied.

That is great news, is it not? 91% have complied. 91% are working with our government to make life better for all Canadians.

We could very well be witnessing the begins of a new, better future for all of Canada.

Cut off that 10%. They are almost certainly as crooked as a paperclip.

The Onion lake band made a good argument I thought. They have a lot of stock in energy companies etc, ie their private business. Private businesses are not required to post their financials. The band does have an audit of the government funds they receive, and does post the salaries of administration on line. Seems there's more to this than thought. What bands do with the money they earn privately is nobody's business.

That's true they use their own money. If they are constant welfare recipients, they should open up their books. it's not just so that Canada can scrutinize how they spend, it's to ensure that favourites, the "in" Clan or family doesn't get more that their fair share.it protects band members by making their councils are more transparent.

That's really up to band members to demand, as far as money earned by the band is concerned. The band says they do post the salaries of their administration, and are audited for the govt money they receive. (NOt welfare, treaty money that they get even if they are floating in private wealth.) That's all they should have to do - account for the money they receive from the feds. And the feds should be ensuring much more rigorous audits of that govt money. But the govt doesn't go to Shell and tell them to open their books.

No, It's up to the leadership of the band. The rest of the band gets whatever is given.

It's up to the band to vote differently if they don't like it.

Yeah, well. In some bands, "voting differently" shuts you out of the cash stream completely. You make it sound as if these are United Churches.