First Nations Financial Transparency Act

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First Nations Financial Transparency Act
Centre Block - Parliament Hill.jpg
Parliament of Canada
  • An Act to enhance the financial accountability and transparency of First Nations
CitationS.C. 2013, c. 7
Considered by House of Commons of Canada
Considered by Senate of Canada
Assented to2013-03-27
Legislative history
First chamber: House of Commons of Canada
Bill citationBill C-27
Introduced by John Duncan MP, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development
First reading 2011-11-23
Second reading 2012-06-21
Third reading 2012-11-27
Second chamber: Senate of Canada
Member(s) in charge Dennis Patterson
First reading2012-11-28
Second reading2012-12-13
Third reading2013-03-26
Status: In force

The First Nations Financial Transparency Act is an act of the Parliament of Canada relating to the financial disclosure of First Nations governments. [1]

Contents

Background

The act was passed after a number of media stories reporting large salaries for certain First Nations chiefs and councillors. [2]

Provisions

The act requires public disclosure of the salaries of chiefs and councillors. [2]

The act requires First Nations to publicly disclose detailed financial audits. [3]

Application

The act applied to most First Nations governments. [1]

The act was controversial when it was being passed. [1] In order to improve relations with First Nations governments, the Trudeau government stopped enforcement of the act, with a promise that the act would be replaced with something better. [1] [4] Most First Nations governments continued to disclose their accounts anyway. [1]

Further developments

First Nations auditor general

The Assembly of First Nations has suggested that there should be a First Nations auditor general mandated to audit First Nations governments. [5] In 2010, the Liberal Party supported such a measure in opposition. [6] The Canadian Taxpayers Federation supported such a measure. [4] The 2011 interim chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations supported such an appointment. [7] Indigenous Services Canada was considering such an appointment in 2021, [4] but to date no such appointment has been made.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Brock, Kathy; Migone, Andrea (2018-12-01). "Financial capacity of First Nations in Canada" . Canadian Public Administration. 61 (4): 479–498. doi:10.1111/capa.12300. ISSN   0008-4840.
  2. 1 2 Dawson, Tyler (2023-06-16). "Alberta First Nation taken to court over lack of financial disclosures". National Post. Archived from the original on 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  3. ↑ Huncar, Andrea (2016-10-18). "Improve rules governing First Nation spending, critics demand". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  4. 1 2 3 Huncar, Andrea (2021-06-20). "'No help out there': Alberta advocate fighting for First Nations financial accountability since 2016". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  5. ↑ Brock, Kathy (2006-09-01). "Fault lines in the federation". Policy Options. Archived from the original on 2021-10-27. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Some native chiefs earn more than PM: tax watchdog". CBC News. 2010-11-22. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
  7. ↑ Kirton, David (2011-11-25). "Morley Watson calls for First Nations auditor general". Archived from the original on 2025-04-27.
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