For years we pushed the federal government to table the First Nations Financial Transparency Act; legislation that now requires aboriginal chiefs and councillors to disclose their pay to the public, just as municipal, provincial and federal politicians have done for years.

What prompted the push were grassroots people living on reserves constantly telling us they couldn't find out basic information in their communities, such as how much their chief and council earned. Stories of exorbitant chief and council pay instances (often coming from leaked documents) certainly helped our push.

People often wonder if transparency can make a difference…well, here are a few examples of just how powerful transparency can be once grassroots people living on reserves know what’s going on: 

1) Glooscap First Nation (NS) Council Pay: Before and After Pay Levels Were Exposed 

* Note for the 2008-09 link to the Glooscap pay info, see the final page to find the numbers. While the federal government blacked out each band's name when providing us with the info, they left information in about the band's population. That allowed a CBC journalist in Nova Scotia to link the pay info to Glooscap

2) Standing Buffalo First Nation (SK) Council Pay: Before and After Pay Levels Exposed

3) Here’s a great news story – Annapolis Valley First Nation Chief Janette Peterson was elected on a campaign of transparency after we helped expose how the previous chief was making a whopping $150,000 tax free. Once elected, Peterson held a public meeting and let the community decide her pay. They reduced her pay by a whopping $90,000 and Peterson hasn’t increased the pay yet.

4) Take a look at this story about the millionaire chief from the Kwikwetlem First Nation in British Columbia. As you can see, even other councillors had no idea how much the chief was taking in. They have credited the First Nations Financial Transparency Act with helping to expose what’s going on.