Aboriginal affairs minister 'disappointed' with court ruling on Attawapiskat
August 02, 2012 - 4:25 PM
REGINA - Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan says the government is disappointed with a Federal Court ruling that says it was unreasonable to appoint a third-party manager to a troubled Ontario First Nation.
Duncan would not say if it was wrong to send in someone to take over the books in Attawapiskat (AH'-tah-WHAH'-piss-kat).
The court ruled Wednesday that a third party was the wrong way to address a critical housing shortage last fall in the James Bay community of 2,000.
When asked in Regina if the manager was a mistake, Duncan said he wanted to "think about that a little more."
The minister said there was an emergency that the government would — in his words — "end up wearing" if some things didn't get done.
He said the important thing is that the health and safety of the community was looked after.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012