RCMP investigate allegations of vote buying

March 8, 2016.

Wood Buffalo RCMP are investigating allegations of vote buying on the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation.

The investigation got underway Monday, confirmed Cpl. Hal Turnbull from Alberta Strategic Communications Unit, and it is unclear how long it will take to complete.

On Thursday, band members are scheduled to go to the polls to vote for Chief and one councillor.

Three band members have accused Chief Vern Janvier and band administrator Kevin Coueslan of attempting to buy their votes. Janvier is seeking his fourth term as Chief.

On Feb. 27, Norman Herman, 53, Dave Cardinal, 46, and Jared Morice, 24, swore affidavits that they were each given $500 by Janvier or Coueslan to re-elect Janvier as Chief and Stewart Janvier as councillor. Stewart Janvier is also running in the upcoming band election. He is being challenged by seven others. Chipewyan Prairie First Nation operates under a custom-election code and staggers its elections for Chief and three councillors.  Every year one councillor is elected and every three years votes are cast for Chief and one councillor.

“In return for cheques or remuneration, they were to vote for a specific candidate in the election,” said their legal counsel Shayne Saskiw. Signatures on the cheques are believed to be that of the band administrator and one councillor, he added, but are indistinguishable. Cheque stubs indicate the men were paid for travel assistance or expenses, but all three claim they did not seek reimbursement for travel expenses.

RCMP were notified on March 3, says Saskiw, and the electoral officer was also notified.

“If she had investigated and found there was merit in the allegations then electoral fraud would certainly disqualify a candidate,” he said. He added that anybody convicted of an indictable offence is disqualified from being Chief or councillor.

Late last week, Fort McMurray Today broke the story on the election allegations but the issue got a push from a news release distributed by Walter Janvier’s campaign administration. Walter Janvier is also running for Chief as is former councillor Jules Nokohoo.

Saskiw says there is no reason to believe the men came forward at the urging of Walter Janvier or his campaign administration.

“There’s been no indication by these individuals of anything like that. They’ve freely swore their affidavits. It’s a very serious thing to swear under oath an affidavit,” said Saskiw. He added that in their affidavits, one man said he “felt as if he was bought by Vern,” while another said he felt he was doing the wrong thing taking the money but needed to provide for his family.

All three men are low income and all three men cashed their cheques.

Saskiw adds that other band members have come forward with similar stories of vote-buying, although no other affidavits have been sworn.

Coueslan says there is no truth to the allegations of wrong-doing and no concerns that the election will be postponed.

“If it was a valid accusation or if it had merit, it probably could have delayed the election but the election will continue and if these accusations go through and are proven one way or another, it will determine if the election is thrown out or remains as the result,” said Coueslan.

He adds that postponing the elections until the allegations are dealt with sets a dangerous precedent.

“If people make wild accusations and it delays or throws out an election, we’ll never get anything done,” he said. “People will be able to do this anytime they want.”

Delaying the election, says Coueslan, will mean delaying business. With Chipewyan Prairie First Nation located in the middle of the oilsands, there is always business going on, he says, whether it’s the business park, applications from industry, pipeline work, economic development or continued legal negotiations on “cows and ploughs,” the fulfilling of the agricultural commitment from Treaty 8.