MNS internal battle continues in court
- Fraser Needham | March 31, 2015
The President of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan has asked a judge to decide when the next legislative assembly will be held.
Lawyers for MNS President Robert Doucette put forward such an application in a Saskatoon courtroom on Monday, March 30.
In January, the Provincial Métis Council voted in favour of holding an assembly in Yorkton in September.
However, Doucette says this is not soon enough.
The MNS President says if federal funding is not soon restored the organization may have to close the doors of its Saskatoon office.
The federal government cut funding last November after the MNS failed to hold an assembly over the past few years.
Doucette accuses Vice-President Gerald Morin and others on provincial council of trying to silence the voices of rank and file Métis people through continued tactics that have resulted in an assembly not being scheduled until the fall.
“There is a nation of community based leaders who are not being heard right now and they’ve asked me to step forward and get them a meeting and that’s what this application is all about,” he says.
He also says the refusal by Morin and others to recognize locally elected presidents is another outright obstruction of the democratic process.
“This isn’t something that I haven’t seen before. You know I’ve been secretary, I’ve been an area director and I’ve seen this process before where local presidents that are duly elected by communities weren’t recognized.”
Nevertheless, Gerald Morin argues the MNS should not hold a legislative assembly until the executive has been fully transparent which includes providing all financial records.
“A proper breakdown with respect to the trust funds and the sale of the building (previous MNS headquarters) and so on,” he says. “So a number of things were set out and none of that information has been received by us and we’ve been requesting this information for the last two years.”
He adds although he doesn’t dispute the MNS office may soon have to close its doors there will always be a Métis Nation of Saskatchewan - with or without an office.
“Look at the fights and struggles we’ve had in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s – our people are vibrant people, our communities are vibrant. Maybe a non-profit corporation may not survive but if it doesn’t we will create a new one so that we have a political vehicle.”
Doucette says if the MNS office is forced to close, documents relating to the citizenship registry could be in danger.
Yet, Morin argues this would not have to be the case since these citizenship records could be moved to another location such as the Gabriel Dumont Institute.
Justice Brian Sherman told legal representatives for Robert Doucette that they need to prove Morin and others were acting in “bad faith” when they voted in favour of waiting until September to hold a legislative assembly.
They have until Thursday, April 2 to present any affidavits and other council minutes that could be considered proof of this argument.
Justice Sherman will then render a written decision on Doucette’s application on Monday, April 6.
How did we get here? Related stories:
- Bitter feuding leads to MNS defaulting
- Letter from Minister Valcourt to MNS
- Court orders MNS to get down to business
- MNS holds first meeting in two years
- MNS could be going back to court
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