Judge orders MN-S to hold legislative assembly meeting by June 19
- Fraser Needham | April 07, 2015
A Saskatoon judge has ordered the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan to hold a legislative assembly no later than June 19; however, the organization closed its doors at the end of March due to financial difficulties.
In a written ruling issued April 6, Justice Brian Scherman says he can find no legitimate reasons why the MN-S would wait until the fall to hold an assembly when such a meeting has not been held for a few years.
In January, a faction on the Provincial Métis Council led by Vice-President Gerald Morin voted in favour of waiting until September to hold a legislative assembly in Yorkton.
MN-S President Robert Doucette brought forward the Court of Queen’s Bench application arguing for an earlier assembly date.
“Let’s get all of our committees together and I’m willing to work on all the committees,” he says. “And I’m willing to work with them and let’s get that June 19 MNLA and let’s get our direction from our people.”
The MNS President also says he would prefer to see the legislative assembly held in a more centralized location rather than Yorkton.
Doucette and certain members of the executive have been locked in an internal battle with Morin and members of the provincial council for more than two years.
The MN-S has had its federal funding cut since last November for failure to hold a legislative assembly over the last few years.
Doucette says all of these problems combined show the strong need for the MNS to bring in constitutional changes at the next legislative assembly.
These changes should include removing the power of the PMC to set the dates of legislative assemblies and putting these dates in the constitution so they are not subject to political jockeying, he says.
Doucette also says the duties and responsibilities of the area directors and executive should be clearly outlined in the constitution.
“The checks and balances that were in the constitution prior to 1993 when this one was passed at an assembly – there were checks and balances – if you didn’t do something there was a penalty. I think there has to be penalties for politicians that don’t do their job.”
Justice Scherman’s ruling also says the PMC must have completed all organizational and preparatory matters to hold a legislative assembly no later than May 9.
In a separate ruling last December, the same judge ordered the MN-S to hold a provincial meeting no later than January 23, 2015.
That meeting took place January 16 and 17 in Saskatoon.
Gerald Morin could not be reached for comment.
Read Op-ed: Worn out government and bad Constitution real problem for MN-S
How the MN-S got to this point
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