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Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau would be giving First Nations’ leaders opposed to transparency rules “an easy way out” if he follows through on his vow to scrap the new regulations, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt says.

Valcourt said Trudeau was siding with First Nations chiefs “who would keep this basic financial information hidden from their communities and from Canadian taxpayers.”

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“We put this legislation in place to empower community members and ensure that they are informed of their community’s financial situation,” Valcourt said in a statement Monday.

“The fact that Justin Trudeau would give opponents of transparency and accountability an easy way out is an affront to the community members and taxpayers this act is intended to serve.”

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In an interview with the Vancouver Sun earlier this week, Trudeau mused that a Liberal government would repeal the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, the new law that requires First Nations to post their audited financial statements online or risk losing government funding.

The Liberal leader said the bill reflected a “lack of respect for First Nations” and was being used by the Conservatives as a weapon against critics.

The law came into effect at the end of July. About half of the 600 First Nations communities affected by the law have yet to post their reports.

The new law led to the revelation that Kwikwetlem First Nation Chief Ron Giesbrecht earned nearly $1-million last year, thanks to a $800,000 bonus.

Trudeau did welcome that information being made public, telling reporters, “You can have good outcomes out of bad things.”