Change is in the air at Glooscap First Nation. With a chief and band council election on the horizon and two of the current four elected officials not reoffering in any capacity, one certainty is change.
Chief Shirley Clarke has decided not to reoffer in the election. The three candidates for chief include Sydney Peters, Clarke’s brother, Brian Smith, who lost a council by-election last year by a slim margin, and Mike Halliday, a current councillor.
Smith, a resident of Hantsport and the operations director for the National Centre for First Nations Governance, said his work experience would be a definite asset if he were elected.
“My role has given me a chance to see communities that operate well and some that don’t,” Smith said. “We have what it takes to run a good community.”
Smith sees a lack of community engagement as a big issue, as well as transparency, accountability and a “lack of information sharing with members.” Smith would like to see bylaws reviewed and reformed. He said there would be at least 50 per cent change in regard to the chief and three councillors following the election, if not 100 per cent change, since two are not reoffering.
The Glooscap First Nation was the subject of a great deal of media attention after the Canadian Taxpayers Federation released information regarding chief and band council pay in 2010. It showed the four elected officials had been paid a total of $1.7 million in wages, expenses and business contracts in the 2008-2009 fiscal year.
Smith said the taxpayer federation had an agenda and it wasn’t out of concerns of band members they released the information. He said, for the most part, chiefs and councillors are making reasonable money for what they do. However, you can pick a few examples of those making a lot, such as Glooscap, and say there’s a problem across the board. Smith asks why the total income of other elected officials, such as MLA’s and MP’s, has not been made front-page news.
Smith said community members have confronted their leaders with concerns and this, at least in part, precipitated the election. If nothing else, the taxpayer federation opened the eyes of community members. There was a sense of apathy surrounding elections of the past but “now they care.”
Smith said he sees Glooscap as a community with great potential and it’s encouraging to see people taking an active role.
“I’d like to see us make the news for a different reason,” he said.
Halliday said he’s been on council for 20 years and feels it’s time for a change. He has held numerous jobs within the band and, if he isn’t elected chief, plans to work for himself in his existing business.
“I still want to work with my people,” he said.
Halliday said Clarke was chief for 20 years and he would never run against her because he felt she did a great job. However, with Clarke deciding not to reoffer, Halliday felt the time was right for him to run.
Halliday said Glooscap is a community with great potential and he is committed to making positive changes moving forward. He sees housing and employment for the membership and economic development on the reserve as the biggest challenges going into the election.
“One thing I’ll look at is getting as many members as possible involved in trades because of the big Irving ship building contract in Halifax,” Halliday said. “Let’s get people trained now, we’re looking at 25 years of employment.”
The information released by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation in 2010 showed Halliday as the highest paid elected official at Glooscap. The federation reported Halliday received $260,430 for serving as councillor and native fisheries program comptroller in 2008-2009 and that he made an additional $718,000 for contract work on the reserve.
Halliday questions the figures. He said the federation had a printout listing every cheque written to him. What wasn’t made clear to the public was that he has a large construction firm and he does a lot of work on the reserve, creating employment. He just built a house at Glooscap for $134,000 and although he received a cheque for that amount, all his expenses come out of that.
“With construction, if you make 10 per cent you’re lucky,” he said.
Halliday said the federation’s figures also included money he received for snow removal, the sale of his variety store to the band and travel allowance, an out-of-pocket expense you get reimbursed for.
“There were lots of things the general public didn’t get,” he said. “The membership realizes this.”
Halliday said the councillors and chief are paid well for what they do but this is reviewed and approved by the membership.
Chief candidate Peters could not be reached for comment.
Did you know?
- Glooscap First Nation is a Mi’kmaq community located outside Hantsport.
- The election begins Feb. 2. Polls remain open until Feb. 11 so those voters who live off reserve can send in ballots by registered mail.
- The new chief and council will be announced after the ballots are tallied Feb. 25.
- There are 248 people eligible to vote.
- Current councillor Lorraine Whitman is not reoffering. Band council candidates include current councillor Kristen Halliday, who narrowly defeated Brian Smith in last year’s by-election; Charlotte Paul, Lynwood Peters, Connie Pineo, Larry Smith, Cherie Francis, Larry Peters, Robin Duffney and Jean Labrador. There are three band council seats.
