MNS slams electoral consulation process

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With the report from the panel that's been consulting with Metis people across Saskatchewan about the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MNS) electoral process expected to be released soon, MNS President Dwayne Roth and the current MNS government have had some less than flattering things to say about the panel and the consultation process.

A press release issued by the MNS office on June 10 questions the validity of any report issued by the panel, which was struck by First Nations and Metis Relations Minster Maynard Sonntag in December 2004.

"The MNS has grave concerns about the lack of attendance at commission meetings and the way they have been conducted," the press release states.

"The MNS submits that the Sonntag commission fails to incorporate the popular views of the grassroots Metis people and our communities. The MNS further submits that the report will lack input from Metis people and communities and thus will lack legitimacy and credibility. The government cannot rely on this report and its recommendations in crafting or designing future Metis policy."

An attached fact sheet, entitled "Sonntag panel fails," claims that very few Metis people attended the consultation meetings, and most of those who did show up were "disgruntled Metis opposition forces," defined in the fact sheet as those people who supported Robert Doucette and Alex Maurice, the two other presidential candidates in last spring's MNS election.

The fact sheet also alleges bias among some members of the panel, stating that people who spoke in support of the current MNS leadership at the consultation meetings were cut off, while those in opposition were allowed to speak. It also called into question the impartiality of panel member Donna Heimbecker, stating that she worked with Doucette to form a break-away Metis organization a decade ago.

The amount of money that has been sunk into the process by the province is also brought into question in the fact sheet, which states that the cost of the consultation process has been more than $165,000, added on top of the cost of having former provincial chief electoral officer Keith Lampard conduct a $60,00 review of the May 26, 2004 election. In contrast, only $15,000 of provincial money was provided to the MNS to help cover the cost of running the last election.

Relations between the MNS leadership and the provincial government have been on the rocks since the government decision to freeze funding to the Metis organization in response to concerns about the legitimacy of last spring's election.

For her part, Heimbecker feels that the work that the panel has done over the past few months has been very valuable.

"It really provided opportunity for Metis people, no matter whose camp they're in, to have an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings on the events leading up to where we are today."

As for the allegations that she is somehow in league with one faction or another in the ongoing election furor, Heimbecker admitted she was involved with a group of people, including Doucette, but that the aim of that group had been to try to resolve the same problems that are still plaguing the MNS today.

"You know, it's about a fair process. It's about accountability and integrity and ethics and all of those things that we try to ensure are within our governing system," she said.

Heimbecker didn't want to go into details about the panel's findings or recommendations until the final report has been released.

"I can just say that I think that Aboriginal people really benefited from the process ... definitely the majority of people that we met with really spoke highly of some positive changes to bring our nation's business back on track," said.

"I think the majority of the people were optimistic with the process and felt some sense of comfort, knowing that their voices were being heard throughout, so I think that's a big part of what happened. And we met in, I think it was 24 ommunities across Saskatchewan over the period of time. And I think that, overall, it was well received everywhere we went."

Minister Sonntag, who spent half of June on Premier Lorne Calvert's Dialogue with Saskatchewan bus tour through northern Saskatchewan, said the feedback he's received during the tour about the panel and the consultation process has been positive.

"Well, the majority, in fairly overwhelming numbers, is supportive of the process and are anxious, though, at the same time, to find some resolution to this so that we can get back on track and get Metis people represented the way they want to be represented and comfortable that there are free and democratic elections, but at the same time, respectful of the process," Sonntag said.

"There are obviously some people who entirely disagree with what the government has done. I mean, that's not surprising," Maynard Sonntag said.

As for claims that some panel members are biased against the current MNS leadership, Sonntag said all efforts were made to ensure that wouldn't happen.

"In the establishment of the panel we tried to find, to the best of our ability, respected people, predominantly from within the Metis community, who were not connected to any one of the candidates, and we worked fairly hard to find individuals who were not. And to the best of my knowledge, there is no connection."

In the meantime, the RCMP's ongoing investigation into alleged improprieties in the MNS election process have resulted in charges being laid against an adult male from Saskatoon. The man has been charged with one count of forgery and will appear in provincial court in North Battleford on July 11. The RCMP are not releasing any additional details about the charges.