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OTTAWA — The third-party manager appointed by the federal government to oversee the troubled Attawapiskat reserve’s finances is set to be paid $180,000 for his work, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development has confirmed.

A spokeswoman for Aboriginal Affairs was unable to confirm who would be paying his salary — the band or the federal government. However, media reports have said the band will have to pay him.

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Jacques Marion, who was kicked out of Attawapiskat by Chief Theresa Spence on Monday, was appointed to the Cree reserve near James Bay in northern Ontario on Nov. 30 to administer funds from Aboriginal Affairs — a job normally left for bands to administer for themselves.

Marion is under contract to manage Attawapiskat’s accounts until June 30, 2012, making an average of about $25,714 per month during his seven-month contract.

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The housing crisis in Attawapiskat has been at the centre of national attention this week with Spence in Ottawa for meetings with Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan and the Assembly of First Nations.

Attawapiskat declared a state of emergency in October over deplorable living conditions. Many residents have been living in tents or shacks for as long as two years without heating, electricity or indoor plumbing.

Duncan sent Spence a letter on Wednesday with two options for solving the immediate problem — work with Marion to retrofit the existing buildings on the reserve or evacuate people living in tents and shacks on the reserve until 15 modular homes arrive.

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