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The First Nations Financial Transparency Act is one of those measures that shows how little understanding there is between the country’s First Nations communities, and the vast majority of Canadians who aren’t aboriginals.

The goal of the act, brought in by the Conservatives, was to improve transparency in how the aboriginal communities spend federal funding. Ottawa transfers about $8 billion a year to First Nations, yet Canadians are well aware that life in many native communities remains closer to Third World standards than the prosperity enjoyed by most of the country. The transparency act was one means of tracking where the money goes and why it appears to achieve so little.

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Many bands objected. They argue that they already deliver comprehensive financial reports to Ottawa, and piling more red tape on existing bureaucracy only adds further strain to limited resources, forcing bands to spend time on repetitive administration duties rather than practical concerns. They say the government already has plenty of ways to monitor spending, that most bands fully comply with requirements, and there were already laws to deal with those that don’t. Band members also dislike being portrayed as irresponsible children who need Ottawa to make sure they behave like adults, which is a long-standing grievance with Ottawa’s paternalistic ways.