Statement made on 08 December 2011 by Senator Sandra Lovelace Nicholas
Hon. Sandra Lovelace Nicholas:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Honourable senators, we have learned that the third party private consultant hired by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development to look after Attawapiskat First Nations' accounts will be paid a total of $180,000. This money will come from their budget. However, a recent report by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada concluded that the third party management system is not cost-effective and hurts a band's ability to govern itself.
Why is the government forcing this First Nation to pay a consultant $1,300 per day to run its finances, even though the government's own assessments say the third party management system is not cost-effective?
Please click here to read the full text of the Senator's question