A Vancouver-area Conservative MP has accused Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice and his provincial counterpart of bribing natives into accepting a controversial provincial treaty.
Tory MP John Cummins, above, says Prentice and B.C. Aboriginal Relations Minister Mike de Jong are knowingly manipulating the Tsawwassen treaty ratification vote by throwing money at them.
While the federal government is keeping its head down, the province is not even trying to hide the fact it will do what it has to do to convince the band with its 350 members, half of whom live on the reserve, to accept the treaty.
Some of the monetary incentives include giving band members 60 years of age and older $15,000 each upon approval of the treaty, according to one outspoken critic of the deal, band member Bertha Williams
A Prentice spokesperson said there "is no wrongdoing on the part of the federal government" and described allegations of wrongdoing as "unsubstantiated."