MNS President steamed over Conservative MP press release
- Fraser Needham | February 16, 2015
Métis Nation of Saskatchewan President Robert Doucette says he is furious over a recent press release sent out by Conservative MP Rob Clarke.
In a release sent out February 12, Clarke blames Doucette for the MNS’ current financial difficulties and accuses the President of not being financially accountable.
The MP for the northern Saskatchewan riding of Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River says Doucette is responsible for the MNS losing about $400,000 in federal funding for failing to call a legislative assembly over the past two years.
He also alleges the MNS President has chosen to close the doors of the organization’s Saskatoon office.
Doucette says Clarke’s accusations are utter nonsense.
He says only the Provincial Métis Council can call an assembly, something it has failed to do over the past few years.
Doucette also says when he and others argued in favour of holding a legislative assembly in the next few weeks at a council meeting last month in an effort to get federal funding restored, a group of area directors on council led by Vice-President Gerald Morin voted the motion down.
Instead, they passed a motion that will not see an assembly held in Yorkton until September.
“He (Clarke) is actually factually incorrect when he says that I’m refusing to call an MNLA,” he says. “If he would take a second to read the MNS constitution, he would realize that the MNLA is called by the Provincial Métis Council.”
He also says the MNS executive has been fully financially accountable with both its membership and the public.
“I don’t understand what MP Clarke is saying with respect to the MNS not being financially transparent. When you go to the MNS website, you will find all of the HOLDCO audits, you will find almost ten years of audits.”
Doucette says allegations that the MNS Saskatoon office is closing its doors are also false.
“I don’t remember sending out an email saying I’m closing the office. Although, I did put in a letter that we may have to close this office. If I was closing it, I would have sent out a press release and told people I am.”
In a February 2 letter to local presidents, Doucette says by voting in favour of waiting until the fall to hold a legislative assembly, the PMC has placed the organization in grave financial danger and the office could close its doors if the assembly is not held in the next few months.
He also says the MNS has gone from 30 to two office staff in recent months because of financial difficulties.
However, Doucette says the rent on the Robin Crescent office has been paid until the end of March.
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