Strahl Meets With Metis Leaders In Ottawa

Strahl Meets With Metis Leaders In Ottawa

Wednesday, April 09, 2008 at 12:59

Metis National Council president Clem Chartier hopes the groundwork has been laid for an improved relationship with the Conservative government.

Chartier met with federal Metis interlocutor Chuck Strahl in Ottawa yesterday about restoring relations between the two sides.

Chartier says there was almost no relationship between the MNC and Ottawa in the first year the Tories were in power — likely because the MNC went out of its way to endorse the Liberals.

Relations with the government were further strained when operations at the national Metis group ground to a halt over a prolonged leadership dispute in recent months.

Now that the matter has been settled, Chartier says he and Strahl have agreed to move forward on a new and better partnership.

Chartier says a financial management plan, internal governance reforms, and a proposed national Metis registry and ballot box election are some of the priorities he outlined to Strahl yesterday.

The MNC president also wants to resume a Canada-Metis Nation working group.