Attawapiskat crisis mishandled: NDP
Wednesday, August 01, 2012 by: SooToday.com Staff
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NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY
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Ruling shows Conservatives mishandled Attawapiskat crisis: NDP
Scathing judgment calls response to humanitarian crisis “unreasonable in all the circumstances”
OTTAWA – Today’s federal court ruling is an indictment of the Conservatives’ mishandling of the humanitarian crisis in Attawapiskat – and vindication for the community, according to the NDP.
“The Prime Minister and his cabinet tried to blame the community for this crisis. Today’s ruling vindicates the people of Attawapiskat and shows that the Conservatives’ conduct was unacceptable,” said New Democrat Aboriginal Affairs critic Jean Crowder. “Conservatives should now accept the ruling and apologize to the people of Attawapiskat.”
In a scathing judgment, the Court said that the Minister’s actions in response to this crisis were “not reasonable”, the government “misunderstood the nature of the problem” and never even considered “more reasonable, more responsive or less invasive remedies.”
“After the emergency was declared, I privately raised this with the Minister and urged him to act before it became a full blown humanitarian crisis. Sadly, the Minister did nothing until the Red Cross arrived. And then Conservatives tried to claim the community was at fault,” said local Timmins-James Bay MP Charlie Angus.
“This was an international embarrassment for Canada. It wasn’t only incompetence by a single minister – it was a mean-spirited response from a Prime Minister and a government that seemed more interested in saving face than helping this community in its time of need.”
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steelworker 8/1/2012 8:59:39 PM Report"overblown salary"- sorry, I was choking on my coffee.
eadiecougs 8/1/2012 9:02:57 PM Reportwhere did the money go for these people someone knows
D.C 8/1/2012 9:43:12 PM ReportMore than 80 on-reserve politicians paid more than PM
One aboriginal-reserve politician in Atlantic Canada made $978,468 last year - $216,130 in salary, $34,000 in per diem travel expenses, and the rest listed simply as "other remuneration" in documents disclosed by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which obtained the information using federal access to information laws, was not provided the name of the big earner or details to identify any of the other 221 chiefs and councillors who took home the tax-free equivalent of more than $100,000 in 2008-09.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/more-than-80-on-reserve-politicians-paid-more-than-pm/article1319284/
Enough is enough people!!!!!!
lowla 8/1/2012 9:58:33 PM Report"the government misunderstood" my a$$!
eadiecougs 8/1/2012 10:16:21 PM Reportdc thats a shame the people who needed the money got screwed
LaughingCat 8/2/2012 1:00:58 AM Report... the blind political posturing and knee-jerk response to such a serious situation illustrates the grater problem with the government at hand. The 'representatives' need to quit the political games and forego spouting the party rhetoric and start representing the people who elected them. Blame is a luxury that can wait till after the crisis is met and the problems are solved. Have these men in suits change places for a month or a year with the people who are afflicted. It would never happen, but that is part of the problem. Rather than seeing tragedy as possibilities for making political hay our representatives need to micromanage more and work to fix the actual problems, rather than cove their asses and tow the part line. The system is flawed ... not fatally, but it needs an infusion of new blood that has the DNA of integrity, honesty, courage and strength.
MikeQ 8/2/2012 7:31:25 AM ReportHow should they have helped resolve the problem? Perhaps by ousting all of the native leaders in that community who were taking all the bacon and leaving peanuts for the rest of the people in the community? Well I suppose that would've been the most reasonable solution, but if they did that, we'd have an entire population of aboriginal-canadians protesting every street people take to work. Watch the episode of the Sun where he talks about exactly how much money was sent to Attawapiskat, and how much actually got to the people who needed it. Put every single one of those tribal leaders in jail, and find some new leaders who know how to divy the money up a little bit better. If it were a non-aboriginal city council, the elected leaders would be gone before they knew what happened, I don't understand why the aboriginals aren't looking on the inside of their own ranks and asking their leaders in that community where the MILLIONS of dollars went off to? A new hockey rink? 3 council chiefs? The list goes on and on, I don't see how this is a federal issue. They want to self-govern, then they should self-govern... not pocket the cash, and blame the feds. All the people in that community got screwed, and the people who hold the blame are pointing the finger, it's just not right.
speed7 8/2/2012 10:30:20 AM ReportI agree mike. It should be controlled by self government to make sure the money is allocated where it needs to go. Any sovereign nation should be prepared to talk the talk and walk the walk.
Our government would never step in to help allocate money ( too chicken ) but they should. I think the aboriginal leaders like things to stay that way. This is the reason for goverment in the first place? To control spending. Our government doesnt know how to rectify the situation unfortunately and they probably prefer not to step in and get involved.
geterdun 8/2/2012 11:35:19 AM ReportPretty sad when a judge or judges tells the goverment that they were wrong in every aspect of the way the handled the crisis that was going on up there....goes to show you what type of people these cons really are doesnt it......Yea stevo blame the community that a boy.....These Cons dont give a rats behind about any body but theselves people ....these snub noses would never even go there. let alone live in such a place ......its coffee lattes and caviar for those boys on the top of the hill......As for the rest of ya in Canada its 10 bucks an hour or starve the 1% rules!!!can you just imagine what Canada will be like in four more years??????
Glenave 8/2/2012 2:06:08 PM ReportI only hope that the federal government appeals this decision. The band has still not opened the books to clearly show where $90 million was spent.
speed7 8/2/2012 2:19:20 PM Reportgeterdun you are sooooooo right! People dont see the cons bigger picture. Depress the masses and let the rich guys suck up all the gravy. True capitalists in there true form. Harpo and his band of baboons in dress suits rolling up hundred dollar bills and lighting their cigars with them. He gets to retire at 65 but the rest of us at 67! Nice!
fatafr 8/2/2012 2:51:31 PM ReportI believe Canadians have some serious concerns, and rightly so, with the funding formula for native reserves. As a Canadian Taxpayer, I have some very high expectations from this Conservative majority government to deal with these issues and come up with some permanent solutions that everyone can live with. There's got to be better transparency and accountability and it's got to start soon.
These native chiefs and the councillors can't continue to be allowed to operate as they are now. They seem to have carte blanche and this is just not right. Canadian taxpayers' money is funneled into these reserves and the largest portion is not getting to where it's suppose to be going. Ordinary natives should be very upset and demanding transparency from these native councils.
I truly believe that the 3rd party issue for Attawapiskat was rightly handled by the Federal government. These people want to continue living in these desolate areas and every time something goes wrong, such as poor housing that is not properly maintained or flooding or whatever, the taxpayer has to be ready to bail them out.
When does it stop becoming the taxpayers' problem and start becoming their responsibility for their actions (or inactions) ?
With this Conservative majority government, I think the buck has to stop
soon. Otherwise, I'm afraid there could be some very serious repercussions in this country and it could very easily begin with the downward spiral of this Conservative government. Just my opinion, of course.
steelworker 8/2/2012 5:14:37 PM Reportgeturdumb and speed0:Who ties your shoes for you in the morning before you get on the short bus??
Lucky Me 8/3/2012 3:26:33 AM ReportI find that if you state anything about the waste of funds by the natives this News 'Sootoday' will remove it very quickly. I made a statement the other day about Garden River, Rankin & Batchawana reserves - which were totally true, about the ones ripping off their own people, just as ALL reserves do such as Attawapiskat has. It was removed because this News 'Sootoday' is gutless & caters to the natives instead of the Taxpayers who support them. Maybe it is time to boycott this news to let them know who supports who.....................
speed7 8/3/2012 12:50:19 PM Reportsteelworker0
I guess you tie my shoes in the mourning obviously? They are never tied right.
Go back to sleeping on your overtime shift at algoma steel!
speed7 8/3/2012 1:07:49 PM Reportsteelworker0
Oh wait..... I forgot you probably are retired right? I guess you've had your fill of all those lovely overtime shifts getting paid over 50 dollars an hour catching up on sleep probably. Big talkers like to talk. My shoes are tied on perfectly thank you. I can do more with my little pinky finger than you could ever do with your whole body. Maybe you could learn a lesson on manners. Calling people zero and dumb shows your intelligence factor and does'nt wear well on you. Go back to sleep now.... I'm done.
speed7 8/3/2012 1:19:08 PM ReportReguarding comments bieng removed. I think people complained to sootoday and I wont say who. Your guess? They dont not want the public to hear it. It looks bad on them. Darn Shame.
Lucky Me 8/4/2012 5:05:36 AM ReportSpeed7 - I guess you could be right - certain people complain to Sootoday, as they know it is true & wish to cover it up & Sootoday thinks the complaint could be wrong. Why is it always when the natives are involved in dishonesty that some posts against them are removed BUT what they wish to say is OK? We have been supporting them for centuries & some still haven't learned what work is & paying their way. My opinion should count as I have been helping supporting them for 40 odd years by working & paying taxes to help them have a great life while we struggle to make ends meet. The Government should take away their GREEN Cards & give them to only the ones that work & live on a reserve.................
speed7 8/4/2012 11:38:25 AM ReportTrue Lucky me, if this crisis ever happened in the sault it would be totally different. Its because they allow the their leaders to take control and just wash their hands of it. The leaders like it that way. They want no interferance because it leaves them the room to do what they wish.
What happened in this crisis was disgusting and harper's response to it was horrible. He did turn it around later to save face. But the results were even worse. This kind of attitude and learned pattern of behavior is what has been hindering them for many years and still we havent seen any improvements. Self goverment is the only awnser to this problem. Or the goverment needs to appoint an official to step in help make things fair.
speed7 8/5/2012 1:51:18 PM ReportAlso, to have Mr Hayes announce 3 seperate fundings of 7 Million dollars just for one group. I mean WOW! Also, there were many others for other groups as well. I tend to believe that the money didnt go where it was needed either in all cases.
speed7 8/6/2012 11:57:25 AM ReportAlso steelworker0
You should be very thankful for your gold retirement plan.
A very powerful and prominent steelworker employee passed away recently. Very religious person on one hand, on the other the most corrupt, booze drinking, bully there was at the plant, who was also on the short bus too!
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
