New details emerge about proposed payment to Manitoba Metis Federation
WINNIPEG — The former board chairman of Manitoba Hydro criticized Premier Brian Pallister on Thursday and defended a planned $67-million payment to the Manitoba Metis Federation.
“What we need is a strong board, and we need a premier who’s prepared to take leadership in addressing some very significant issues that Hydro faces,” Sanford Riley told The Canadian Press.
Riley and eight of the other nine board members at the Crown corporation quit en masse Wednesday. They said they had been unable to secure a meeting with Pallister for more than a year to discuss key issues.
Pallister said the dispute stems from a proposal submitted by the board last fall to pay the Metis federation $67 million over 20 years in relation to new Hydro developments.