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INDIAN NEWS FOR INDIAN VOTERS
BY CHIEF HANGING CHAD
AN INDIAN AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS
CANADA (INAC) OFFICIAL HAS CONFIRMED
SUSPICIONS OF VOTING FRAUD IN THE JUNE
12, 2009 SHUBENACADIE BAND
ELECTIONS.
According to a March 8 letter from INAC
bylaw adviser Jacques Boutin, “evidence and
information compiled in (the consultant’s) report
suggest that violations of the Indian Band
Election Regulations may have taken place.”
Former Queen’s Cowboy Bob Norton,
prez of the Winnipeg-based Norton Security
Consulting, was hired by INAC in January
to investigate vote-tampering allegations
on the electorally-challenged Indian Brook
reserve. On February 8, Bob signed off on
his report, which Jacques forwarded, along
with the cover letter quoted above, to interested
parties.
INAC has said it is not commenting on the
report, nor releasing it to the public. Frank
Magazine has obtained a copy, and we are
DEXTER’S
MEGA N.B. DEAL
BY LOTTA TAR
SHAWN GRAHAM’S 11TH HOUR, PANIC-INDUCED PULL-OUT FROM
THE NB POWER-HYDRO QUEBEC CONSUMMATION IS
OVERSHADOWING NEWS OF A $275 MILLION-PLUS NEW
BRUNSWICK GOVERNMENT CONTRACT, WHICH I’M HEARING COULD
COST TAXPAYERS CLOSER TO $1 BILLION.
On March 8 — two weeks before he killed the power deal (Frank
572) — Preem Graham announced his Liberal government chose Nova
Scotia road king Dexter Construction to pave over a wide swath of
the Picture Province.
After a tender call went out last summer, Dexter was shortlisted with
two other national consortiums for the grandly-named Route 1 Gateway
Project, a federal-provincial cost-sharing scheme with a P3 twist:
Dexter gets to maintain and operate 235 kilometres of a four-lane highway
for the next 30 years.
N.B. Transportation Dept. spokesthingy Andrew Holland tells me
discussions are ongoing, and can attach no dollar amount to the project.
He expects a funding announcement in April, and construction to begin
shortly thereafter.
The massive project, which Andrew notes will be completed before
August 2013, calls for 55 kilometres of new highway to twin the route
between Saint John and St. Stephen; two new lanes between SJ and
its uppity bedroom community Rothesay, making New Brunswick’s first
six-lane highway; interchanges galore; and 104 kilometres of decora-
pleased to summarize its findings.
Bob investigated four specific allegations,
(1) at least two candidates bought votes; (2)
mishandling and/or tampering of ballot boxes;
(3) at least two mail-in ballots were falsified;
(4) Electoral Officer Karen Miller rejected a
disproportionately high number of mail-in ballots.
Bob was unable to verify the vote-buying
allegations, saying that an alleged cash recipient
denied being bribed for his vote, while
another refused to talk about it. No one else
agreed to co-operate.
Bob’s scrutiny of the ballot box concluded,
“they had not been sealed in accordance with
(regulations). (But) there is no evidence of
tampering with the ballots.”
As for the alleged discrepancies with mailin
ballots, Bob hit a bonanza.
“There is no explanation for the significant
difference between the reported number of
votes cast and the number of voter names
crossed off on the voters list,” he wrote.
He concluded, “No one could explain why
approximately 450 more names were crossed
off than actually voted. This puts into question
any record of who voted in the election.”
Jerry Sack, who was “most co-operative”
with Bob’s investigation, was elected chief winning
389 more votes than Michael Paul, who
lodged the original complaint with INAC.
The elected councillors are: Ronnie Augustine;
Rufus Copage; Thomas Howe; Ryan
Julian; Colleen Knockwood; Ian
Knockwood; Reg Maloney; Alex McDonald;
Jim Nevin; Michael Sack; and Deborah
Thiebaux (Julian). Their two-year terms expire
June 12, 2011.
INAC has given band members until April 9
to respond to Bob’s report. Stay tuned.
Indian Brook’s population is around 2,300;
about half live off the reserve. According to
INAC figures, almost 40% have an education
that is less than a high school grad’s, and the
unemployment rate typically runs about 30%.
There is a long history of band election voting
fraud.
Does Frank Know?
atlanticfrank@eastlink.ca
tive fence-work, to keep deer from turning into roadkill.
Bedford-based Dexter Construction will operate and maintain the
Southern NB highway network until June 2040.
While both the Irving-owned Telegraph Journal and the news release
from the N.B. government (Isn’t that Irving-owned, as well? —
ed.) do not estimate the millions of public dollars at stake, a July 2009
article in the London, U.K.-based trade paper Project Finance International,
expects the N.B. roadwork to have capital costs of $275 million,
with the feds kicking in a maximum of $137.5 million. (Isn’t it
great how we have to go to England for information from New Brunswick?
— ed.)
The same PFI article says Dexter Construction’s partnership team
consists of its parent firm, the Carl Potter-owned Municipal Enterprises;
principal consultant MMM Group, of Anne Murray’s hometown
Thornhill, Ont.; Victoria, B.C.-based Thurber Engineering;
Albuquerque’s Applied Research Associates; and N.B.-based
Boissonnault McGraw et Associes of Campbellton and Roy Consultants
Group of Bathurst. The group is bankrolled with National
Bank financing.
Does Frank Know? atlanticfrank@eastlink.ca
APRIL 13, 2010 ATLANTIC CANADA FRANK 7