Federal probe rejects Peguis vote appeal

Peguis Chief Glenn Hudson has been vindicated after an appeal of his March election victory was dismissed by the federal government.

In a letter dated Oct. 13, Indian and Northern Affairs director general Brenda Kustra wrote that the results of the election stand after a review of allegations of disorganized voting and misinformation sent to voters.
About a dozen band members, including former chief Louis Stevenson, who was trying to regain his position during the spring election, had demanded the formal review.

One band member complained she was prevented from exercising her rights as Stevenson's second scrutineer, but the federal review concluded that given space limitations, one scrutineer was sufficient.

While Peguis First Nation members should not have been allowed to deposit their own ballots in the ballot box, "it was not established that it could have affected the results," said Kustra, because all the ballots were verified during the counting.
Information that led to the mailing of election materials to band members without their consent was not provided by the electoral officer, meaning there is no violation of election regulations.

Hudson said Friday night he is not surprised the appeal was dismissed.

"There was nothing done that would go against election regulations and that showed."

Hudson still faces a separate appeal launched by Stevenson over results of a June 13 vote in which community members approved a settlement for the illegal transfer of reserve land near Selkirk in 1907.

Hudson said the First Nation hoped to send cheques to band members for $1,000 each -- $1,500 for elders -- by Christmas, but that won't happen while the appeal is pending.

He says the First Nation will lose $800,000 in interest on the settlement because of the delay, but the chief is convinced the land claim appeal will also fail.

"In moving our community forward, nothing can stop us," Hudson said.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 17, 2009 A7.