The infighting continues at the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.
Late Friday afternoon, President Robert Doucette was served with a court injunction to stop this weekend’s Métis Nation Legislative Assembly.
Nevertheless, the assembly went ahead and a judge will rule on its legitimacy Oct. 10.
Doucette says he’s saddened with the recent turn of events and the injunction application means the MNS will have to spend more money on legal fees.
He says he wishes those who put forward the injunction, who all attended the assembly anyway, would have dealt with their concerns in a different way.
“I had hoped that the area directors and vice-president (Gerald) Morin would have firstly listened to what we said at the state of the nation and the special meeting that was called by Métis citizens,” he says. “And, just called up a Métis provincial council meeting and come to the assembly and do things in a good way,”
Doucette also points to a court case to strip him of signing authority, a wrongful dismissal case and one surrounding a former CEO that are costing the MNS tens of thousands of dollars.
The MNS president says the case on Oct. 10 will cost the organization $5,000 to $6,000 per day in legal fees.
Meanwhile, at the assembly, a motion was passed suspending all the area directors and the vice-president who filed the injunction.
Derek Langan, area director for eastern region 2A and one of those the motion was directed at, says it is “laughable” and will never stand up in court because it’s unconstitutional.
“There is nothing in our constitution that gives the MNLA a platform or right to strip any of us of our duties,” he says. “We are elected as regional representatives by the people within our respective regions and when they see fit that we’re no longer doing our duty, they will no longer elect us in there as their regional representation.”
He adds the people in his region are happy with the work he is doing and that if the MNLA calls for a by-election or an interim appointment, they say they will put his name forward.
Despite all the turmoil, President Doucette says he remains optimistic and the Métis Nation is as strong as ever.