February 11, 2011
By Jeff Parkinson
When the news broke in late 2010 that some Native chiefs earn more than the Prime Minister, and that councillor Mike Halliday of the Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia which has a membership of 304 brought home $978,000 in 2008, Canadians were startled. When CBC tried to interview Halliday on Nov 26 2010, he threatened to have them removed by police.
When resident Sherie Francis spoke out about living in poverty while her representatives get rich, she says Halliday threatened to fire her from her job at a band operated store.
The revelation was the result of some freedom of information act digging by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
When confronted with the numbers, Chief Shirley Clarke of the Glooscap First Nation admitted that while only 87 people actually live on the Reserve, she personally takes home $243,000 per year, but she said she “works hard” for that salary and that it’s “unfair” for those numbers to be made public.
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