OTTAWA – A Métis group in British Columbia has written to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt to express concern about the results of an investigation into the Métis National Council.
The B.C. Métis Federation says a 2012 review, only recently made public, raises what it calls “a number of very serious issues that demand immediate answers and full public disclosure.”
An outside consultant’s draft report and a subsequent examination by the Aboriginal Affairs Department raised red flags over the Métis National Council’s management practices and financial controls.
The Canadian Press recently reported never-before-released details of the audit, which identified questionable contracts and apparent conflicts of interest.
Council president Clement Chartier and vice-president David Chartrand of the Manitoba Metis Federation say the outside auditor’s initial findings were flawed and other issues have since been resolved.
However, the rest of the council’s board of governors are at odds with Chartier and Chartrand, saying they didn’t know about the issues flagged by Aboriginal Affairs and do not want to be associated with the probe’s findings.
Valcourt’s office has yet to comment on the B.C. Métis Federation’s letter.
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