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During a visit to Saskatchewan this week, Canada’s minister of Indigenous services commented on the latest developments in the forensic audit into the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).
Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said at Dakota Dunes on Thursday that Indigenous Services Canada has completed the audit and communicated the outcome to the FSIN, but is still awaiting a response from the organization.
Read more:
- LISTEN: Tribal chief discusses FSIN audit, governance and $28.7M repayment
- FSIN ordered to pay over $28 million after audit
- FSIN audit questions over $34 million in expenses
“The next step is for me as a minister (is) ensuring that leadership is able to understand what the step is, so all chiefs who are represented by FSIN are going to be informed of what the outcome was, and what they intend to do in that space,” Gull-Masty said, indicating she wants to be respectful of the FSIN governance structure.
“Our role is to be sure that the accountability component between community members and leadership is maintained.”
Gull-Masty said more concrete next steps can’t be disclosed directly, but said the file is being actively worked on while speaking on The Evan Bray Show on Friday.
Gull-Masty said she is “always committed to accountability (and) ensuring that members know and understand the decisions that their leadership is taking.”
She said the ministry has received information from its auditing company, based on recommendations provided to the FSIN.
“We’re not really able to disclose because this is a conversation that’s happening between us as the funder and FSIN. But I know that there’s more work to be done,” Gull-Masty said.
She said that further work includes hearing from FSIN leadership, consulting with the organization and taking next steps based on those discussions.
She told The Evan Bray Show that a set of recommendations has been put forward for FSIN’s consideration and the ministry is “always offering the opportunity for them to come and have that conversation with us.”
“I’m looking forward to see what they’re going to bring to the table next week.”
Gull-Masty added that she stands firmly in her belief that all people deserve to know how public funds are being used and that there must be accountability for their use.
650 CKOM has reached out to the FSIN to ask when it expects to respond to the ministry, but did not hear back before publication.
–with files from The Evan Bray Show
