Windspeaker Briefs

Audit into Indian Affairs pending

Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has appointed a new acting director general for Manitoba. Blair Clarson takes over the job while the region's three top managers remain suspended on full pay pending an audit.
Mary Blais, regional director general; Martin Egan, associate regional director and Fred Mills, associate director of funding services operations, were placed on leave in December.
There's no news of when the investigation, being headed by former Privy Council official Anne Scotton, chief audit and evaluation executive with Indian Affairs, will be completed.
But meanwhile, some observers are expressing sympathy for the suspended officials.
"I know two of the three people, they're fine long-serving civil servants," said Anita Neville, Liberal MP for Winnipeg South. "I just wish them well and I'm looking forward to the outcome."
Chief Terrance Nelson of Roseau River First Nation said he believes the bureaucrats ran a foul of procedure.
"They worked outside of the box trying to resolve some issues, they basically got slapped down by policy," he said. "The policy is to make sure that the Indians don't get ahead."
The audit is an examination of millions of dollars disbursed on the Framework Agreement Initiative on the Dismantling of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development - a now-cancelled initiative aimed at handing control over department programs and services to Manitoba First Nations.
The focus is on two files in particular ­ Governance House and Manitoba Hydro.

Second trial hangs on decision of first trial appeal

Several reports have been made that the 20 remaining murder charges against Robert Pickton may not be heard at a second trial if Pickton loses his appeal of his first trial.
The British Columbia Attorney General, Wally Oppal gave this explanation to family members through the Victims Services program in British Columbia.
Many of them are apparently upset that another trial would not likely happen.
After the comments to family members of the murder victims, Oppal made the announcement in legislature that another long trial would not be in the public interest.
"The public interest here involves putting everybody through a second trial, given the fact that no further punishment, no further sentence can be achieved by virtue of further convictions. He is now receiving the maximum," the attorney general told reporters in Victoria.
Canada has no provision in law for consecutive life sentences and Pickton's sentence on the six counts for which he's already been convicted is the maximum possible, said Oppal.
There are families who agree with the decision, while others are disappointed, he said.
Pickton was charged with 26 counts of first-degree murder, but the judge at his trial decided to divide them into two groups with the first trial hearing only six cases. He was convicted of the lesser charge of second-degree murder in those cases last December. Pickton was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years before he can apply for parole.
The Crown will not proceed with a second trial on the remaining 20 counts of murder if Pickton loses an appeal of his first trial, said Oppal.
The Crown and the defense for Pickton have appealed the convictions. The defense is asking the court to overturn the convictions and the Crown is asking for a new trial on all 26 counts.
The investigation of the murders is reported to be one of the most complex in Canadian history and the first trial lasted almost two years, including preliminary arguments, and cost millions of dollars.
Many of the family members of Pickton's alleged victims are publicly saying they want to hear in an open court what happened and convictions of first-degree murder against Pickton in the remaining cases.

BDC invests in Nuu-chah-nulth entrepreneurs

A $250,000 investment in a partnership agreement with the Nuu-chah-nulth will benefit entrepreneurs in the Nuu-chah-nulth trading area.
The Business Development Bank of Canada and the Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation will create a new Aboriginal Business Development Fund.
The $250,000 will be for a micro credit loan fund and qualified entrepreneurs will be able to obtain business loans of up to $20,000. The NEDC will identify entrepreneurs who are potential loan candidates.
Through the corporation's established Youth Entrepreneurship program, candidates will be offered appropriate business training that includes mentoring and education on human resource management, financial planning, marketing and problem resolution.
The importance of the candidate's management capacity, business feasibility, and commitment are highlighted as opposed to equity and security.
Aboriginal communities show higher rates of new business and self-employment than their counterparts, with more than 30,000 Aboriginal people currently running their own businesses. Increased activity means greater need for a variety of consulting and financial services.
The NEDC statement includes how the agreement with the BDC will ensure entrepreneurs are well prepared to take advantage of the unprecedented employment and business opportunities that exist in their own backyard.
Other programs the NEDC has developed include the Business Equity program, youth entrepreneurship, mentoring and Business Links.
NEDC was incorporated in 1984 to assist the Nuu-chah-nulth in achieving economic and social independence through financial assistance and advisory services to individual and tribal business development initiatives. The BDC is a financial institution wholly owned by the Government of Canada.

Australia Aborigines given full apology

On Feb. 13, the Aborigine People received a formal apology from the newly elected Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd. The apology speech was read out at 9 a.m. as the first action of the second sitting day of parliament.
The apology is for more than 100 years of taking Aborigine children from their families and forcing them into institutions away from their homes.
The opening of the new parliament included, for the first time in it's history, Aborigine people who gave a traditional welcome in their custom.
Prime Minister Rudd told parliament that past policies of assimilation were a stain on the nations' soul. About 100 members of the Stolen Generations were in parliament to hear the government apologize. It is widely reported; many of them wiped away tears as Rudd spoke.
The apology comes after more than 10 years after a report into policies that found between one in three and one in 10 Aboriginal children were taken from their families between 1910 and 1970.
The report recommended a national apology to those affected, known as the Stolen Generations, but the government at the time, under Prime Minister John Howard refused the advice and offered instead a statement of reconciliation.
The Assembly of First Nations released a statement shortly after the apology congratulating the Australian Prime Minister for issuing the apology, which took one half hour to read. Fontaine is quoted in the statement as expecting the government of Canada to give a full and sincere apology at an early date.
He states, the AFN has submitted a draft apology to federal government in May of 2005 are still waiting to be consulted.