New party alleges widespread corruption

Page 6

A new challenger stepped into the Aboriginal political arena this summer, vowing to stamp out corruption in Saskatchewan's Metis government and become the opposition.

"We would like to be the monitoring system," said John Melenchuk, a spokesman and member of the New Metis Party of Saskatchewan.

Melenchuk said the party wants to serve as a watchdog to the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan (MNS) - which is the umbrella organization for several Metis regions and locals in the province. With federal government funding, these locals provide services for Metis people such as educational and job-training programs.

But Melenchuk said he has seen first-hand the corruption and nepotism in current Metis government institutions, having worked from January to March on contract as an economic development officer for Western Region II's Metis Employment and Training Centre (METSI) in Prince Albert.

A computer training program launched this spring costing about $450,000 could have been done for half the cost, said Melenchuk, since a lot of the money for the program wasn't accounted for. In other instances, he alleged METSI personnel would invent programs days before budgets were due, in order to get full federal funding for the next year.

The federal and provincial government were contacted by Melenchuk earlier this year. He told both levels of government some of the problems he was seeing at METSI.

But in a letter to Melenchuk, Bernie Wiens, Saskatchewan Minister of Inter-governmental and Aboriginal Affairs, said to take his concerns to Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).

"HRDC is responsible for policies related to the Metis Employment and Training Centre Corporation in Prince Albert, as well as those related to the provincial office of Metis Employment and Training of Saskatchewan Inc.," reads the minister's letter.

HRDC said in turn the problem was to be dealt with internally by Metis government, said Melenchuk.

"The government is saying look after yourself. We can't even look after ourselves - it's corrupt," said Melenchuk. "The only alternative is another party."

But HRDC recently informed METSI it would take a greater role in looking after some of the training and education programs through Metis regional offices, in light of a fraud investigation by the Saskatoon Police Service of the Metis Employment and Training Centre of Saskatoon.

Melenchuk said Prince Albert's training offices for Metis people should also be investigated like their Saskatoon counterparts.

"They (the police) should go right through everything," he said.

Melenchuk alleges the Prince Albert regional office is pocketing some of the money it receives for itself, based on documents received from a former METSI employee.

Morley Norton - who isn't a New Metis Party member - worked from November 1998 to August 1999 in Saskatoon for METSI. Norton said his job was to keep track of money spent on youth programs in such METSI regional offices as Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert.

"I was one of the monitors," said Norton, who was laid off in August. "When I did an analysis of Prince Albert books, I found a lot of discrepancies."

In an invoice Norton copied during his time at METSI, the Prince Albert Metis Women received $1,600 from a Metis Elders' care project for equipment rentals such as a snow blower, a steam cleaner, a large shovel, picks and paint rollers. The program is designed for youth to help Elders with such things as shovelling walks, washing walls and taking seniors to appointments.

John Hanikenne, former co-ordinator for the Prince Albert Metis Elders' home care project and now a member of the New Metis Party, said he never saw or used the equipment written on the invoice.

The document was written after Hanikenne was laid off in May, 1999. But Hanikenne said the invoice was for 16 weeks, which started in January while he was still working for the program.

"This stuff we never had," said Hanikenne. "All I was gien was one shovel.

Another invoice Norton copied shows the Elders' project paying $200 to the Metis Local No. 7 general account in June, 1999 for storage of equipment in a shed. Not only did Hanikenne never see the equipment, he never saw the shed either.

Hanikenne said he wasn't aware of the accounting discrepancies until Norton phoned to ask about the books.

"This is just what we picked out of my program," said Hanikenne, adding he wonders what happened with other youth programs.

The two cheque vouchers for the invoices are also missing approval signatures from some Metis Local presidents.

Darlene McKay, Metis Local No. 7 president, signed both vouchers. But Lois Fiddler, Metis Local No. 109 president, and Barry Robertson, Metis Local No. 269 president, didn't sign the documents.

Norton said the other two signatures are necessary to approve funding.

Norton said he sent a memo to Perry Chaboyer, METSI's chief executive officer, explaining the three signatures were necessary as a result of a motion passed by the Prince Albert Metis Urban Council in January, 1999.

"Any disbursements from any of these accounts must be authorized by the three local presidents," reads the memo.

No action was taken after the memo was received, said Norton.

When contacted by Sage and faxed the cheque vouchers, invoices and memo, Chaboyer said he couldn't comment on the matter. Chaboyer said all media comments have to go through Philip Chartier, METIS chairman.

Chartier couldn't be reached for comment.

Melenchuk said the party also wants to make sure the administrators are as clean as the books.

Earlier this year, Prince Albert's Metis Urban Council co-ordinator Merril Fiddler was sentenced to 15 months' probation for drug-related charges.

"We want to make sure that doesn't happen again," Melenchuk said.

Merril's mother, Lois Fiddler, is president of Prince Albert's Metis local No. 109 and a member of the Prince Albert Metis Council board, which hired Merril knowing his criinal record.

Melenchuk said the ew party won't be corrupt, since it's starting from the grassroots.

"We want everything to be open," he said.

The party's working committee plans to hold public meetings throughout Saskatchewan over the next few weeks to see what other Metis people have to say.

Party funding will come from memberships, along with selling T-shirts and hats.

In 2001, the party plans to hold elections for president to coincide with MNS elections. Melenchuk hasn't ruled out running politically either.

"I don't really want to run for president, but if it comes to that I will," he said.

MNS president Clem Chartier and vice-president Murray Hamilton couldn't be reached for comment.