Results needed from our leaders

Page 5

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is about to embark on an ambitious and far reaching exercise, preparing a detailed statement of the First Nation position on what self-government should look like.

It will do so in the full expectation that a Paul Martin government will keep its word and actually treat First Nations as full and equal partners in a joint relationship that can work towards that elusive goal. (Although we'll believe that when we see it.)

There was a lot of talk about "process" as AFN legal counsel Roger Jones outlined the extremely complex and comprehensive manner in which First Nations people across the country will be asked to provide input on what they will need to implement self-rule.

We've come to realize that whenever we hear the word "process" we know we can substitute the phrase "well paying jobs for bureaucrats."

So much time is spent talking about process, we suspect, because bureaucratic jobs are created by the busload when complicated governmental processes are created.

We also know, and we're backed up by no less a personage than Auditor General Sheila Fraser, that the way things are done by bureaucrats on all sides in Ottawa is to keep track of activity without measuring results.

Some critics of National Chief Phil Fontaine's ambitious plan are calling it "the turbo charged gravy train." Fontaine himself confirmed that his organization has recently completed a new budget agreement with the Department of Indian Affairs that will see a significant increase in funding, although further inquiries failed to uncover specific numbers. The national chief mentioned a long list of new initiatives that have been, or soon will be, instituted at 1 Nicholas, AFN headquarters. That's going to mean lots of new jobs and plenty of opportunities for the national chief and his executive to reward supporters.

Here's an idea that has no chance of ever being embraced: Pay all these admittedly capable and intelligent people a modest but livable salary while the job is underway and top it up with a big bonus when (or if) the job is done.

We get the feeling that will go a long way towards actually accomplishing something aside from improving a couple of hundred wardrobes and filling up homes in swank Ottawa neighborhoods.

We say this because it's time to do something about the misery and hardship that afflicts too many of our readers.

People are suffering and dying while others sit in comfortable offices in Ottawa and bicker about where to put commas. It's time to get serious about results, not "process."

Fontaine was forced to admit in Saskatoon that his pre-budget submission to the standing committee on finance last year yielded no results. We believe it's not his fault. Yes, his plans to charge ahead and engage the government were derailed in Squamish when he was forced to back off on an attempt to push his agenda forward and lead the chiefs rather than follow their direction. That's the strange thing about the AFN; the chiefs elect a "leader" and then tell him not to lead.

But Fontaine was also slowed by the gridlock created by internal Liberal Party machinations. Leadership selection, transition, all had a deadening effect on the pace of progress. Now things are stalled by the election campaign that was expected to start on May 23.

But, surely, once the election is done and the new government is in place, the people at the AFN had better take it upon themselves to get some results. Even if it means that the folks at 1 Nicholas have to work diligently to put themselves out of a job.

There will be plenty of opportunities for smart people with the kind of expertise it takes to get to self-government in self-government. And we believe that the sooner the Indian Act is toast, and real, accountable and fully functioning First Nations government are in place, the sooner the misery that is all too prevalent will start to subside.