(The Canadian Press)

By Nigel Maxwell

Elections

Federal government commits to work with First Nations who postpone elections

Mar 27, 2020 | 2:02 PM

In the wake of rising health concerns surrounding COVID-19, the federal government is now providing some direction to First Nations’ who have scheduled elections.

In a Twitter post Friday morning, Marc Miller said the federal government is encouraging those First Nations to postpone their elections. There was also some suggestion the government will work with communities to address concerns related to continuity. In the case of many First Nations, their fiscal year ends on March 31, and there was a feeling of being under pressure to hold the election, regardless of the obvious health concerns.

Gary Vidal, Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, has openly expressed concerns regarding the planned elections. He told paNOW on Friday he was supportive of the Minister’s remarks.

“I believe [the government] has also sent letters out to all the First Nations in Saskatchewan and Alberta, either last night or this morning, advising them of this so I think we have some progress on this we were looking for,” he said.

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While Vidal did not have all the details, he said one of the options in the letters is for existing Chief and Councils to remain in power until a new election takes place. Both the One Arrow First Nation and Montreal Lake Cree Nation, have already announced they are doing this. The election date for Montreal Lake Cree Nation has been tentatively set for July 31, but in the case of One Arrow, the electoral officer has indicated a decision will be re-visited in three months. Vidal said there needs to be some parameters and rules in place, so the respective councils know what they can and can not do in that interim.

“They obviously cannot do it forever,” he said.

Vidal acknowledged there will be some band members who are not happy with the mechanisms being instituted, but added the primary consideration needs to be community safety.

“That’s the bigger issue, to make sure we keep people safe and make sure we provide mechanisms for governance and continuity to ensure that happens,” he said.

Gary Vidal has promised to seek further clarity from the Federal Government. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

A spokesperson for the Minister’s office responded to paNOW’s request for comment and explained during this pandemic, the health and well-being of Indigenous communities is the government’s sole focus.

“Now, more than ever, there is a need for strong leadership and we are working to ensure there are no gaps in governance during this crisis,” Vanessa Adams said..

Adams explained that for communities governed under either the Indian Act or First Nations Elections Act, the current legislative context does not give the Minister of Indigenous Services the authority to extend the terms of office for currently elected and expiring chiefs and councillors. So the final decision to postpone or maintain an up-coming election is under the purview of the community in accordance with their laws, customs and governance structure.

“We recognize that this poses a challenge for communities who may have elections coming up in the near future. In the event that a decision is taken to proceed with the scheduled election, Indigenous Services Canada stands ready to provide advice on measures to limit the risks to community members,” Adams said.

The election at Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation, near Duck Lake, was still going ahead on Friday, despite some hesitation expressed this week by band members on social media. Electoral Officer Loretta Pete Lambert, released a statement on the band’s website and said ensuring that a governing body is in place for the Nation is crucial.

“If the election does not occur on March 27, 2020, this will create a governance gap and the Nation will not have a government,” Pete Lambert said.

Pete Lambert has also confirmed a number of precautionary measures in place to protect the candidates and the community members who come out to the polling stations.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell