The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is applauding the fact the public can now access the financial information of First Nations bands across Canada.
“This week, for the very first time, taxpayers and the band members who cast ballots to elect those chiefs and councils are getting to see the financial statements and political salaries for those bands,” Jordan Batemen of the CTF said in an opinion piece Wednesday.
The information is being posted to a new federal government website following last year’s adoption of a law mandating that these financial reports be put on the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s website.
Batemen said the CTF, along with advocates and whistleblowers in several First Nations communities, have been calling for this move since 2009.
As of Thursday, July 31, the financial statements and salary information from Soda Creek, Williams Lake Indian Band and Yunesit’in (Stone) were posted on the website as well as the 2013 to 2014 financial statements from Xeni Gwet’in (Nemiah) and Tsi Del Del (Alexis Creek) bands.