Where are you Tully we're worried!

lionel.chartrand@gov.ab.ca

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Camperville jackfish!"

Hi there! No, I won't vote in the Metis Nation election. I have an MMF card and I identify with Manitoba. I haven't bothered to get an Alberta Metis card, I have not heard great things about the organization here.

You have to admit, like him or not, that David (Chartrand) is a staunch Metis advocate and has taken the MMF to new levels in his dynasty. He has raised public awareness nationally about the plight of the Metis Nation. This benefits all of us. There is no one in Manitoba right now who can do a better job.

I read your answer to the question about why you derogate Lionel Chartrand. You explain that you did have proof of truth of Lionel's Petition statements. Was Lionel Chartrand connected with destroying this evidence? If not, why is he a bad lawyer for not telling you of possible defamation if what he wrote was, in fact, true?

And are you not prejudging the outcome of the jury's verdict? Why do you think you will be found guilty of defamation? How do you know that Lionel Chartrand wrote defamatory material? Maybe the jury will agree with him?

I am just curious, because you appear to write from an intellectual perspective, and most of what you say is intelligent and internally consistent, except that you have trumped up Lionel Chartrand's statements, so you must have believed they were true, and isn't that what a balsy lawyer is supposed to do - advocate fiercely for their client! Jeff Niederhoffer did the same for you, and you regard him as a hero. I think that you must be mad at Lionel Chartrand for some other reasons. Maybe he dated your lady friend?

I'll start asking friends if they know what happened to Tully Vorcheux. I'll let you know if I find out anything.

Oilfield Metis

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Dear Oilfield Metis:

Thank you for writing. To respond to your comments/questions:

(1) To suggest there is no one one in Manitoba who can do a better job than David Chartrand is misleading. There are several successful Metis politicians and business people here who could do at least as good a job, and probably better, but for whatever reason(s) have chosen not to run

(2) We derogate Lionel Chartrand because he richly deserves it! You assume evidence was destroyed - on what basis is that statement made? Please re-read our previous answer where it was explained the MMF's lawyer was able to secure a Court Order for return of internal Federation documents in possession of the Co-Defendants In my case I relinquished 1,574 pages. Mr. Belhumeur claimed he had none although this is open to serious question

Further, where has it been written we believe we'll be found guilty of defamation? Au contraire. The MMF's lawyer fought hard for trial by judge only but we exercised our right to trial by judge and jury. Perhaps you're unfamiliar with the term, "jury nullification." It simply means layperson jurors will sometimes perceive situations totally differently than judges and lawyers. That's why you'll sometimes see surprising acquittals where juries are involved. For the MMF trial by judge and jury is the worst possible outcome

And if a lawyer gave bad advice which ended in a lawsuit against you your reastion would be .....? Lionel Chartrand should have said, "What I've written could possibly be defamatory." In which case it would never have been published or, at the minimum revised, before being published. At the time he wrote it he strongly disagreed with David Chartrand on the MMF's approach to negotiating Metis gathering rights with the Doer government

(3) Your suggestion Lionel Chartrand may have dated my lady friend is uncalled for, out of line and totally inappropriate. As a matter of fact, one of the reasons Lionel Chartrand left Manitoba was to marry a woman living in Alberta. The other was his repuation was shot among the legal community here. Question: why do you think Lionel Chartrand has yet to be named by the MMF as a Co-Defendant given he was the most culpable? Hint: possible serious conflict of interest?

(4) Finally, thank you for any information you may be able to provide our readers on the whereabouts of Tully Vorcheux. Ever since you suggested Lionel Chartrand may have put him in jail we've been worried

Sincerely,

Clare L. Pieuk