By Greg Higgins

Court hearing accusations of vote buying on Red Pheasant

Apr 4, 2018 | 8:46 AM

A lawyer and Red Pheasant band member is hoping to have the 2016 election overturned in federal court due to allegations of corruption.  

Numerous band members of the reserve, located 40 km south of the Battlefords, have come forward with affidavits claiming Chief Clint Wuttunee and the rest of council tampered with the March 2016 election. Some of those band members showed up at Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon Tuesday morning as the trial began and could continue until Thursday.

Michelle Good is the applicant representing the band members accusing the Chief and council of vote buying and not informing the band of opting into a new election act which extended council tenures from two years to four.

Good is a Red Pheasant band member herself and said the corruption has to stop.

“I have been very concerned for many years now about the failure of our respective band councils to abide by the principals of free, fair and honest elections,” Good said. “Everyone knows [about vote buying]. You just have to go on Facebook during an election and everybody is selling their ballot and everybody is buying it.”

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 2

7h ago

Fond Memories

North Stars' 20-year-olds reflect on junior hockey experience: Part 1

Apr 18, 2024

Trades in Sask.

Skilled trades need not limited to building homes

Apr 17, 2024

This wouldn’t be the first time Red Pheasant Council has been accused of buying votes. In 2009 Ex-Chief, Charles Meechance, pleaded guilty to fraud for vote buying in the 2005 election, which was overturned by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Good was retired from law, but started practicing again after filing the election appeal. She said Red Pheasant has the right to run a democratic election, but the reserve lacks the resources Elections Canada has to prevent corruption.

“It’s the wild wild west out there when it comes to election time and it has to stop. Our people are suffering in every respect, yet the band council members are not. It’s contrary to everything that is Canadian.”   

According to Good, she shouldn’t have to prove corruption occurred to overturn the election if she can prove council didn’t inform band members of the decision to opt into the new election act. Good said if she can prove the band wasn’t consulted about the change, then the election should be overturned automatically and the corruption allegations won’t need to be visited.

Good stated the respondents have been purposely dragging the process on to try and get her to drop the case.

“Giving up is not in my nature,” Good said. “I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to bring in a simple application, when there is obvious evidence that corruption occurred. It shouldn’t be like that.”

Current Red Pheasant First Nation Chief, Clint Wuttunee, didn’t have much to say when asked for comment. He simply claimed the applicant’s case was based on “hearsay” and it will be proven in court.

“We will just let the court process deal with it,” Wuttunee said. 

Both sides will present their arguments today at Court of Queen’s Bench in Saskatoon. If need be the trial will continue tomorrow.

Court resumes today at 9:30 a.m. and battlefordsNOW will be in the courtroom in Saskatoon with live updates.

The allegations have not yet been proven court.

greg.higgins@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @realgreghiggins