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National Chief Matthew Coon Come strongly denounces the attitude of the Canadian Alliance Party in the on-going debate about accountability within First Nations communities.

"We are Peoples and Nations by any and every international standard. We are already the most audited and verified group in this country. As of this moment, 98% of our communities have submitted audits, most of which have been accepted without qualifications. We do not object at all to accountability and transparency. In fact, we have been working for years to establish accounting standards and procedures that will allow our governments to be accountable directly to our citizens, not to the government or the Canadian Alliance. Our governments have been working to establish these reporting requirements and if the Alliance was serious in its attempts to have open and transparent First Nations governments, they would be working with the AFN and all First Nations governments to see that the processes are established quickly, not undermining us by slander and innuendo as they have become so proficient in doing. Their ignorance of our situation is an embarrassment to the parliamentary process", stated the National Chief.

"The Canadian Alliance is guilty of using the most demeaning attitude towards our citizens and our governments. Under the guise of accountability, the party is painting all of our governments at best as irresponsible and at worse as fraudulent. We believe that the rate of default and imposed external management on non-.Aboriginal municipalities is ACTUALLY higher than the rate of First Nation default. Why is the Canadian Alliance Party not telling Canadians that First Nations administration is in the same or better shape that comparable non-First Nations situations? Such a double standard is totally unacceptable. Their only goal is to whip up anti-Indian sentiment in Canada for purely cheap political points", added the National Chief.

"The Canadian Alliance Party and others make much of the fact that the federal government spends $7billion dollars or so on "Status Indians". If you were to examine the expenditures around the same number of non-Aboriginal people in any Canadian city, you would find that federal, provincial and municipal governments are spending even higher amounts to provide social and other programs and services to these Canadians." "Canadians have the right to expect these services and it is the responsibility of the governments to provide those services. The same criteria should also apply to First Nations citizens. Yet, because of the paternalistic Indian Act framework, much of the $7 billion is consumed at Indian Affairs and other federal ministries, by non-First Nations bureaucracies, before any benefit reaches First Nations peoples".

"The Canadian Alliance is only able to inflame Canadians about these issues because First Nations peoples are an easily identifiable population. This is a form of racism, one that once Canadians know the facts, they will reject. However, the federal government has much to do to ensure that First Nations people receive funding that is equivalent to the larger per capita amounts being spent on non-Aboriginal Canadians, and to ensure that funds provided are delivered to First Nations people in an effective manner".

"The double standard of this party is exposed for all to see. This party does not care one iota for the health and well being of our citizens. If it did, the party and its leader would be working with us to resolve the deplorable conditions in housing and health and pushing to improve the economic development opportunities and resolve outstanding land claims. They would be supporting and pushing the government to act quickly to resolve those issues. Their constant resistance to negotiated solutions to the issues shows that their attitude is not borne out of respect for us but by utter contempt. Their Aboriginal platform was bred by contempt, not by respect for our citizens and the law of the land", concluded National Chief Coon Come.

For additional information, contact Jean LaRose by e-mail: jlarose@afn.ca