Manitoba's Roseau River Band is voting on a historic land deal Tuesday that could see it receive $80 million from the Canadian government, but some members claim money is being paid for votes.
Critics slam reserve's vote on $80-million settlement
Nelson said the $50 cash payments to voters was an approved procedure. "You either hire buses and try to pick the people up and gather them together or you provide an incentive to come to vote."
The Pierre brothers said they took the $50, but they still question it. They said they were given envelopes in which to seal their ballots, but the envelopes had their names, addresses and treaty numbers on the front. They didn't have to put their ballots in a box, handing them instead to officials conducting the advance poll.
"I don't know if this would pass Elections Canada standards," Victor Pierre said.
He said he mailed a complaint directly to Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan in Ottawa.
There's a lot of strange things about this vote.. Like why it was held 90 KM away from the reserve to begin with.
The Pierre brothers said they took the $50, but they still question it. They said they were given envelopes in which to seal their ballots, but the envelopes had their names, addresses and treaty numbers on the front. They didn't have to put their ballots in a box, handing them instead to officials conducting the advance poll.
"I don't know if this would pass Elections Canada standards," Victor Pierre said.
He said he mailed a complaint directly to Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan in Ottawa.
There's a lot of strange things about this vote.. Like why it was held 90 KM away from the reserve to begin with.