Aboriginal affairs minister

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strikes Metis task force

A task force has been established by Dave Hancock, minister of Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs, to look at the structure and future direction of the Metis Settlements Appeal Tribunal.

The tribunal was established to act as a quasi-judicial court of appeal for disputes over land or membership from the eight Metis settlements in Alberta. Hancock pledged last fall to establish the task force to review the role it plays in dispute resolution.

In December, protests were held at Hancocks' office and at the Metis Settlements General Council's office to bring attention to poor living conditions on the settlements. The protest group called for changes to the governance structure of settlement councils and to the accountability procedures for settlement councillors. A forensic accounting review lead to corrective action plans for the eight settlements last year.

At the time of the group's protest, Hancock acknowledged there was a considerable amount of work to be done with the settlements to ensure they are ready for self-government.

Denis Ducharme, an MLA from the Bonnyville-Cold Lake area, and Edmonton lawyer, Fred Martin, will co-chair the task force. A meeting of the task force has yet to take place. The task force will focus on where the tribunal's current mandate needs to be expanded, said a government spokesperson.