BC AFN regional chief appears before House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs

Jody Raybould-Wilson, BC Assembly of First Nations regional chief, appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs on Oct. 17 to make a presentation on Bill C-27, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. She told the committee that the vast majority of First Nations governments are transparent and accountable to their citizens, and that the proposed measures set out in the bill are both “heavy handed and unnecessary.” She said chiefs resent the inference that First Nation governments are corrupt, the leaders are not transparent and consequently need to be regulated by Ottawa. So it’s not surprising, she said, that First Nations leaders are turning the mirror back on Canada, saying that it needs to be held more accountable for its treatment of First Nations. Raybould-Wilson said rather than turn to an unproductive debate on which governments are more accountable to those they are intended to serve, she said the collective task is to ensure that all systems of government are accountable and meeting certain standards, while understanding there are more ways to skin the “accountability cat.” She said the real question is who should have the responsibility to create rules that apply to First Nations and their governing bodies. Raybould-Wilson contends it is the First Nations themselves. “What we really need to do is increase the options for our nations to develop their own governance, including their accountability frameworks, so they can build their own future within Canada rather than being legislated from above. We need to speed up this process so that where a Nation is ready, willing and able to proceed with reform it can move and where Canada does not act as gatekeeper.”