Laugh as you will - a former Canadian porn star for senator?
Good Day Readers:
Initally we smiled then upon further reflection thought why not? Look at some of the people the Prime Minister appointed to the Canadian senate recently! First it would increase the female presence in the upper chamber - a good thing. Next it could serve to wake up some of the old boys while improving chronically poor attendance.
Sincerely,
Clare L. Pieuk
posted by Clare L. Pieuk at 6:58 AM
1 Comments:
Judge orders halt to Cross Lake election
Chief passes first hurdle in regaining power on reserveBy:
Kevin Rollason
A federal Court judge has ordered Cross Lake First Nation to cease plans to hold an election for a new chief.
Justice Sean Harrington also issued an order banning the reserve's executive council, band council and others from preventing Chief Alex James Robinson from carrying out his duties, or from carrying out any band business voted at a meeting without the chief being present.
Despite Friday's ruling, it's unclear whether Robinson will be able to begin acting as chief again. He could not be reached for comment.
Robinson's lawyer, Murray Trachtenberg, said his client "was pleased by the decision.
"He has said he is the chief and he has tried to carry out his duties with no office, no cellphone, and no paycheque... all of that, the court says you have to stop that. The court has put him back as chief.
"We expect everybody to comply with the Federal Court order."
The injunction will be in place until the entire argument is heard in court.
But by mid-afternoon on Friday, calls to the Cross Lake band office asking for the chief were still being directed to Acting Chief Garrison Settee.
When contacted, Settee said he had been in meetings for several hours and didn't know the details of the judge's decision.
"I will be talking to legal counsel -- that's all I'll say right now," Settee said.
Lawyer Robert Tapper, who acts for Settee and other members of the band council, said Robinson can't begin acting as chief again because a separate matter -- contesting an order from the reserve's women's council removing him as chief -- still hasn't been heard by the courts.
"We're in a very grey area, but the women's council's edict is there and hasn't been dealt with," Tapper said.
Robinson has been battling to retain his position as chief almost since he was elected in Aug. 2008., with 457 votes compared to 353 votes for his closest rival.
His sister was charged in September with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and other charges after a 33-year-old female resident was struck by a van.
The RCMP charged Robinson and his brother in November with obstruction of justice after a female witness accused the pair of trying to convince her to take the fall for their sister.
Those charges sparked the women's counsel to order the chief to leave office saying he was "permanently incapacitated" because of the criminal charge against him.
Vice-chief Settee stepped in as acting chief until a byelection was to be held on April 2.
But in December, the reserve's elders council said they believed unseating the chief before the criminal charges were heard was premature and they asked that Robinson be reinstated.
And earlier this month, the province's Justice Department announced it had dropped the charge against Robinson.
Cross Lake, with a population of more than 5,000, is located 520 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
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