I still long for the day that free speech will once again be permitted in a country once known as Canada. Free speech is the opportunity to express one's opinion, conviction, and even alarm at trends that are threats to a stable economy or religious freedom, even family life—or at least appear that way.
Many of us who cherish the values and virtues of a former Canada are duly alarmed at the inability to speak up and speak out, for fear of being labelled as hate-mongers, bigots, or racists.
Funny how, when the proverbial shoe is on the other foot, there is no issue whatsoever.
Here are my credentials for expressing a measured opinion: I have been married to the same wife for almost 32 years (and never been unfaithful to her or my family), have always paid my taxes (and on time), have stayed out of jail (so far!), have lost the odd job but have always been employed, and so on. I believe that gives me some weight to express my concern when it comes to the current state of abuses of public money.
I am thinking this time of the Department of Indian Affairs. And reading blog comments from a variety of sources, I am not alone. What shocks me (and thrills me, via a strange, ironic twist) is the fact that many of the comments are coming from First Nations people, who have left the reserve system themselves.
A case in point is the financial challenges on the Atlawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario. According to an independent and objective audit, between April 2005 and November 2011, $104.0 million passed through that reserve's hands.
After all that money went through, targeted for “sewage, housing, education, and other services,” there was no documentation for 60% of the money, and a whopping 81% had inadequate documentation. Many of us are aware of the allegations of corruption at the leadership level on these reserves, but this takes one's breath away.
That's one reserve in Canada alone. Multiply that by the number of reserves in Canada, and the amount could be in the billions of dollars. Are they are all like that? Don't know: Maybe there should be more audits.
By the way, that's your money that is being unaccounted for. It's going somewhere, to be sure, just not towards the intended targets, namely, “sewage, housing, education, and other services.”
No wonder there is a spotty paper trail at the top.
(To be sure, I am well aware of certain bands in BC—Osoyoos, Westbank, Kelowna, and Kamloops come to mind—who are wonderful models of the free entrepreneurship system. At least they're spending our money well, with strong economic advances to show for it.)
In my opinion, the whole reserve system has been a colossal failure; it has been broken for decades. I have often thought of them as social, moral, financial, and cultural ghettos. They are marked by isolation, double-standards, and complete lack of accountability. Between government expenditures as well as vocational and educational outcomes, one wonders how much longer this system can survive.
It would be of great benefit for all stakeholders—government, First Nations, and taxpayers—if this issue was re-visited and dealt with, once and for all. I have some concrete suggestions, but they may be construed as hate-mongering.
Stiffing our First Nations by isolating them in these ghettos was the first mistake. However, continuing to keep them there, with absolutely no future has become another mistake. Pouring yet even more money, with less-than-ever accountability would be a further mistake.
But the worst mistake would be limiting the taxpayer, like me, from at least expressing a sincere outrage at this cultural circus.
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