APTN National News
OTTAWA-A First Nations band politician in Atlantic Canada has pulled in nearly $1 million in yearly pay, according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The tax watchdog group has released a second round of documents outlining the levels of pay chiefs and band councillors receive across the country.
The documents show that 82 band chiefs and councillors made more money than the prime minister’s $317,574 salary in 2008-2009.
In Atlantic Canada, one reserve politician made $978,000 that year.
The Atlantic Canadian band chief or councillor is from a community with a registered population of 304, the documents show.
The documents obtained by the organization have the names of individuals blacked out.
Alberta has the highest paid chiefs and councillors in the country, according to the documents.
In Alberta, home to the largest oil reserves in the world outside Saudi Arabia, 47 chiefs and councillors made more than the prime minister in 2008-2009.
British Columbia had the second highest number of band politicians making more than the prime minister with 18, followed by Atlantic Canada with nine, Manitoba with five, Saskatchewan with two, Ontario with one and Quebec with none.
A Saskatchewan Conservative MP recently tabled a private members bill to make all chief and band councillor salaries public.
Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau issued a statement Monday saying the recently released numbers show the need for the bill to become law.
Who has heard of the famous Liberal’s ‘White Paper”? Why did the Government at this time releas the pay figures to the public? What is the PM Harper’s view on seperate indentity to the Abriginals of Canada? THe answers all lay in answers to these quistions. Aboriginals have learnt well from their nighbours for sure. I agree it is not right nor fair for “our” leaders to take such a heafty pay. Chief angry at the fact she has been found out?–I am ashame to call her my Chief. Such drible draable explain action She uses “our” money to pay peole to tell her what to say and these are not Aboriginals? ll this speaks volumn for sure.
The things that come out of the fork tongue of patrick grey owl brazeau.
this government has a duty to consult before making changes to policies concerning Indian people.
These are only a few examples the canadian tax watch dog group will not tell the population.
when indians pay tax the monies go into a special fund. this special was create in trust by the federal government for indian people. when the indians celebrate treaty days the monies the federal government uses comes directly from this special fund therefor the indians pay themselves treaty.
inciting hate is against the law, animosity is the byproduct. the tax federation will not tell you but indians pay three times the tax as any canadian. indian bands are not funded by canadian tax monies but by royalties from natural resources but only 1 percent of those royalties get to indian bands and the rest[99 percent] remain in the pockets of the rich[3 percent] of canada.
Now that the information is somewhat public, it is time for First Nations’ band members to revolt and kick the bums out.nUnfortunately, most young First Nations people now live in cities and don’t have a clue about what is going on at home. However, they still have voting First Nations’ voting rights and it is time they woke up and took action.nKick the bums out.nnRudy HaugenedernVictoria, BC