Vellacott resigns chairmanship

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Maurice Vellacott has resigned as chair of the Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

The Conservative MP for Saskatoon-Wanuskewin was a controversial choice to chair the committee because of his support for two Saskatoon police officers convicted of unlawful confinement in 2004 after dropping an Aboriginal man off on the outskirts of the city in sub-zero temperatures, but it was his suggestion that Supreme Court judges believe they have god-like powers that put him in a position where he was forced to resign.