Core Leadership

"These are all funds that could be used toward education or housing, or you name it....  I could put those funds toward better use.  But when there's no accountability, and loans given out, expenses with no receipt, bonuses given out - it leaves a bad taste in my mouth."  Michael Rossignol, former manager of the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy for the Sheshatshiu Innu band

"This administration is putting to shame all former Innu leaders who gave their lives fighting for the rights and freedom of the Innu.  This federal funding is entrusted to my department to deliver programs to the Innu of Sheshatshiu, it is not meant to be manipulated.  Apart from being illegitimate, the cost of the above scenario would have deprived another Innu student from an already limited budget."

Mr. Rossignol resigned as manager of the program he was tasked to administer "in disgust", refusing to bend the rules after pressure by council members to allocate additional funding to certain students.  This, hard on the heels of the revelation that the former CEO of an Innu-owned development company, the Innu Development Limited partnership, was paid over $1-million in salary the last two years.

The aptly-named Paul Rich, a former band chief, caused many in the community of 1,300 to feel betrayed when they were made aware of his enriching himself at their expense.  For in their community there are few jobs and few social programs to aid and assist those in need.  Many transactions at the IDLP, owned by the Mushuau Innu first Nation and Sheshatshiu Innu first Nation and aimed at boosting economic activity, were neither recorded nor approved.

Mr. Rossignol explained that the finance department director asked him to hand over to a certain student more funding than allowed, on July 10, during a conference call with the band chief and council.  He explained this was counter to the program rules, and she recommended funds be allocated from a legitimate expense and the money doled without a receipt.

Newfoundland and Labrador MP and federal cabinet minister Peter Penashue had been granted a $25,000 loan from the IDLP to cover campaign expenses in 2011.  None other than Paul Rich, brother-in-law to Mr. Penashue was CEO at the time.  With his millions, it is rather mysterious why he could not have personally financed his relative-by-marriage's campaign expenses, rather than raiding the funding from the IDLP.

An Innu political activist said protesters boarded up the offices of the IDLP, the band council and Innu Nation offices, calling for leaders to open the financial books for scrutiny.  "We are demanding answers, but we're not getting anything from our leaders. So we are protesting and we have boarded up the buildings...  It's a real shame that our leaders are using our own money without telling us."