Politic?

This is a blog dedicated to a personal interpretation of political news of the day. I attempt to be as knowledgeable as possible before commenting and committing my thoughts to a day's communication.

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Nice Work If You Can Get It....

"This is a very serious matter. The First Nation entrusted Mr. Kennedy to handle funds on behalf of the members of the Attawapiskat First Nation."
Attawapiskat band council
attawapiskat
Attawapiskat and Kashechewan are under a state of emergency after sewage system failures have displaced multiple hundreds of people in both communities. Seen here is flooding in the community of Attawapiskat. (FACEBOOK PHOTO — ROSIE KOOSTACHIN, VIA MP CHARLIE ANGUS' FACEBOOK PAGE)
"We're committed to protecting all Canadians from those who engage in abuses of trust. Those who break the rules must suffer the consequences."
Office of Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt
Attawapiskat, reserve, sex abuse
Attawapiskat First Nation is shown in this file photo.

"It was alleged to have occurred in August of 2012. As far as we're concerned, this is an isolated incident."
Sgt. Jackie George, Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service
Clayton Kennedy, 62, is once again in the news. This time he was charged with one count each of fraud over $5,000 and theft over $5,000. Undoubtedly, much, much 'over' the stated amount. Mr. Kennedy was the reserve's co-manager from 2001 to 2012 in an intermittent manner. He is also the much-defended common law spouse of Attawapiskat's chief, Theresa Spence. The very Theresa Spence who charged the federal government with abandoning the needs of the band
.
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence\'s re-election is drawing criticism for leaving out some voters who live off-reserve.
Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence's re-election is drawing criticism for leaving out some voters who live off-reserve. Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS
And who, when an investigation probing the reserve's parlous housing conditions, and a later audit turned up questionable spending practices, turned the public's attention away from the corrupt spending practices by the band council by staging a hunger protest over living conditions on reserves. Drawing to her dramatics the support of other reserves and the obsequious attention of some opposition Members of Parliament, happy to take part in an event meant to shame the government.

At the time of the housing crisis on the reserve, when the media drew full sympathetic attention to the inadequate conditions prevailing there, also happy to pile accusations onto the government of malfeasance in ignoring the plight of First Nations peoples, it was pointed out repeatedly that funding was never the problem, band use of the funding was. Moreover, a nearby diamond mine gave both employment and handsome dividends for land rental to the geographically isolated band.

Mr. Kennedy provided "expertise and advice primarily int eh areas of finance and management", while Attawapiskat was in its declared state of emergency. The federal government sought to remove him from that office of financial authority with the band to replace him with an external manager, a move which chief Spence fought tooth and nail against.

And then a scathing audit of the band's books surfaced; an audit that took in part of Mr. Kennedy's second tenure with the band's co-management position. There was no paper trail that would shed light on the expenditure of millions of dollars between 2005 and 2011. An audit that was called in response to Chief Spencer having declared a state of emergency on the reserve.

The band contract with Mr. Kennedy was for payment of $850 for his services, daily. Five years before Mr. Kennedy was appointed Attawapiskat's director of finance, co-manager and band manager he had declared bankruptcy, with debts of $24,380 and assets of $2,403. And while he was working for the band in his capacity as co-manager and financial officer, millions mysteriously vanished and his salary amounted to $850 a day.

Labels: , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

() Follow @rheytah Tweet