Northwestern Ont. chiefs react to new accountability law

First Nations in the northwest have mixed opinions about new federal legislation requiring them to post their financial statements online.

Aboriginal Affairs' First Nations Financial Transparency Act set a deadline of midnight last night to post the statements.

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Couchiching First Nation chief Sara Mainville said financial accountability to community members is vital, but she believes the new legislation is more about politics.

"It focuses on governance when, in fact, we really have bare-bones governance in our communities, she said.

And it really doesn't highlight how needs continue, year-in and year-out, to not be met."

But Gull Bay First Nation chief Wilfred King said he has no problem with the financial accountability legislation and believes it should actually go further.

King said his community is finalizing its audited information.

"We have no problem submitting any kind of financial information to the government.

In fact, King said the financial transparency legislation doesn't go far enough.

If there was any kind of impropriety, then ... there should be mechanisms in place to ensure that the funds are recovered or somehow the funds are recouped and put back into the band coffers.

Superior Morning6:34First Nations Financial Transparency

The first audited financial statements for the last fiscal year were to be filed by end of day yesterday under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. Sara Mainville and Wilfred King are chiefs in Northwestern Ontario

Mainville, who ran for chief on a platform of financial transparency, said she posts all her expenses in the band office for community members to review.

But she noted cash-strapped First Nations already have to spend a lot of money producing financial reports for the government.

"It's like looking at the family budget of a family that can't make ends meet. I mean that's basically what you're doing."

Mainville added Couchiching First Nation will comply with the legislation and is filing the required information.

Assembly of First Nations statement:

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) did not support the government's First Nations Financial Transparency Act.

To be clear, First Nations are supportive of accountability and transparency but this bill does not support that overall goal for a number of reasons.

The Bill calls for disclosure of information above and beyond that of other governments, including potentially sensitive information about business dealings that could put First Nations businesses at a disadvantage in terms of competitiveness.

The Bill in no way addresses calls by First Nations for reciprocal accountability - that the government demonstrate its accountability to First Nations including spending and outcomes related to First Nations, as called for in many reports by Auditors General over the years.

The AFN believes in accountability and transparency but the government must be transparent and accountable as well.

In fact, the AFN was leading an Accountability for Results initiative with AANDC (then INAC), Treasury Board Secretariat and the Auditor General's office long before this legislation was developed but the Conservative government terminated the initiative for no clear reason.

We would have been much closer to implementing a real approach to accountability and transparency that would have served all Canadians had this work been able to continue.

We will continue to press for this approach."

-AFN National Chief Ghislain Picard