(June 4, 2023) The current President of Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) incurred travel and accommodation expenses for the 12 months ending March 31, 2023 that were almost triple over the same period ending in 2022 and her salary and remuneration for the most recent 12 months has also climbed skyward to $181,208. The figures were released by MNBC on June 1st as required under the Métis Nation Governing Assembly (MNGA) Act.
Lissa Smith incurred travel and accommodation costs of $59,147, while at the same time claiming per diems (for meals and incidentals) for the same 12 month period totalling $10,590. All travel expenses and per diems paid out are tax free. In the 12 month period ending in March 2022, she incurred $20,827 in travel and accommodation expenses and $6238 in per diems.
In addition, the figures released this week show the current President receiving $181,208 in salary and remuneration which is way higher than the $150,000 salary the Board approved last October when all Board members voted themselves a hefty salary increase. A note on the table that was published tries to explain the increase as “Salaries and remuneration for the Board includes amounts paid/payable which relate to benefit entitlements from the previous fiscal year which were paid out in the current fiscal year”. What benefit entitlements?
The Vice-President of MNBC also rang up big travel and accommodation expenses in just his first 11 months in the role. His travel and accommodation expenses totaled $47,177 and his per diems at $9407 were only a $1000 behind the current President’s. Again, all travel and accommodation expenses, and per diems are tax free. The next highest expense claiming Board Director for 12 months ending in March this year was once again the Region Four Director who incurred travel and accommodation expenses of $31,324 plus per diems of nearly $6000.
In total for the 12 months ending March 31, 2023 the 11 MNBC Board members incurred travel expenses of $277,041 and per diems of nearly $58,000, and drew salaries and remuneration in excess of $1 million.
Consulting and professional fees were left out of the report, even though they are supposed to be included, and have been included in previous reports. Now why would they be left out? Are they too high?
BC Métis Leader and former MNBC President Clara Morin Dal Col said, “Paying out more than a million dollars in salaries and remuneration for part time work is disgusting. This is a direct result of the Board voting themselves their big salary increase last October.”
“And spending more than $335,000 on travel, accommodation and per diems tells me that no one is too worried about fiscal responsibility,” said Ms. Morin Dal Col.
Ms. Morin Dal Col said, “This Board needs to tell our Métis Citizens what they’ve done to deserve the big salaries and what justifies the huge travel expenses. They can’t even produce an annual operating budget for Métis Citizens, but yet they claim to be a government. Where’s the accountability and transparency?”
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For further information:
Contact Clara Morin Dal Col
BC Métis Leader
Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com
WOW!!!!This is Outrageous.
nothing but cons, and also non Metis are there, you know who you are