Oh dear:
From being pulled out of press conferences to avoid questions to the awkward 18-second delay in trying to frame his answer to a query about when he knew about the dire situation in Attawapiskat, Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan’s performance has been subpar.That continued Sunday when the Minister appeared on CTV’s Question Period, sowing even more confusion over a press release that tried to put a positive spin on his efforts and had obviously been timed for release just minutes before he was to go on national television.
6 comments:
You're doing a hecka of a job, Minister Duncan.
I keep waiting for the CBC to go to the chief's sun down shack on the reservation and ask her some questions... but I guess that would be racist.
ridenrain, she's answered every question she's been asked. As for her government salary, which allows her to live a middle class lifestyle, I don't begrudge her at all for that.
The problem is the media are too scared of being called racists if they ask the tough questions.
If she's living in a mansion, driving around in a Cadillac while her people are freezing in run down shacks, I would question her judgement.
Except, neither you nor I know the circumstances on the reserve, right now, except for there being people living in shacks in sub-0 weather.
What I do know is, is that every house on the reserve that is somewhat safe to be inside is packed with people (over a hundred people in a handful of homes).
And the people living on the outside are likely the 20-40 year olds, given that First Nations would let the elders and children in the houses.
And no ones wants to be moved into the arena, for fear of being abandoned by the government ala Katrina in New Orleans.
As for the chief's salary, I know what it is, and it's hardly exorbitant. In fact, it's quite in line with what mayors earn, in addition to doing the work that provincial and federal bureaucrats do, such as education, health, highways, and so and so on (that, and the fact there's only the CPP for chief and council, without a government pension plan in place such as what Harper and Duncan shall earn when they retire from public office).
I've seen the numbers for the band's budget. Chief and council's salaries are there, too. All this information is online, available for your perusal. Look it up.
It should also be mentioned every item in the band's budget was approved by the government.
Harping on the chief's salary is a weird and even malicious topic, especially since it's hardly a secret, and the fact that she's been elected by her people, and hasn't been recalled by them, shows she has their full confidence.
As for racism, it's there, and it's frightening. And you should look in a mirror, and ask yourself if you yourself are one, too, ridenrain.
If any municipality received that much money and had people living in that state, there would be hell to pay. Trying to silence questions about accountability simply are not working any more.
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