The Harper government is invoking closure to speed passage of a new law that sets out public disclosure rules for elected First Nations representatives.
Greg Rickford is the parliamentary secretary to the Aboriginal Affairs minister.
He says the law simply puts first nations politicians on the same footing as any other elected representatives.
“So we see this as a win-win and we’re not asking them to do anything more than they already do. We would just like to ensure that those documents are publicly accessible for the benefit of their First Nations community.
He adds the publication of salaries is standard practise.
“We are not asking First Nations elected officials to do anything more than municipal governments, provincial governments and federal governments already do.”
The FSIN says the legislation is being rushed through, is unnecessary, and did not involve enough consultation with First Nations groups.
It also would have preferred the establishment of a First Nations auditor.