FNMR Minister Apologizes for Dismissive Remark

FNMR Minister Apologizes for Dismissive Remark

Thursday, May 05, 2011 at 14:40

The Opposition says the province’s Minister of First Nations and Metis Relations reached “a new low” on the floor of the Legislature yesterday.

The NDP is upset that Ken Cheveldayoff disputed information a delegation from the Red Earth Cree Nation gave to the Opposition regarding an earlier meeting between himself and band officials.

The group says it met with the minister for only five minutes, and weren’t able to discuss the flooding concerns on their reserve the way they wanted.

When Opposition MLAs raised the five-minute meeting in the assembly, Cheveldayoff called it “ridiculous” followed by an expletive.

Cheveldayoff later apologized and withdrew the comment after being asked to do so by the Speaker.

NDP MLA Buckley Belanger says Chief Ian McKay and members of his band shouldn’t have been treated that way while visiting the Legislature.