WINNIPEG — A Federal Court judge has reserved her decision in a dispute over allegations of corrupt election practices at a Manitoba First Nation.
A hearing Thursday centred on accusations of vote-rigging and influence peddling by three councillors during Norway House Cree Nation’s 2006 election.
The allegations against Eliza Clarke, Mike Muswagon and Langford Saunders include claims the councillors promised new homes to woo voters and held a secret meeting to plan home allotments without telling councillor Marcel Balfour, who is now chief.
The band’s election appeal committee examined the allegations in 2007, but found there was no proof of corruption and dismissed the appeal. However, a lawyer representing a group of Norway House residents argued Thursday the federal court should quash the appeal committee’s decision and render a new one.
But Harvey Pollock, the lawyer for the councillors, argued the appeal committee members, elected from the community by chief and council, have high public standing and sought outside legal help to reach their decision, so it should be upheld.
Lawyer George J. Orle, who represents the residents, said Balfour wasn’t told about a secret council meeting held in January 2006, where councillors allegedly discussed plans to send letters to 95 band members telling them they’d be getting a new home.
The lawyer said the housing hadn’t been approved and funding was only available for 47 homes.
‘‘They were promising houses they did not have,’’ said Orle, who argued the letters were a breach of the band’s housing policy, and intended to give the councillors an unfair advantage.
But Pollock said the proposed housing policy had never been enforced in the past and sending out the letters was standard practice.
Besides, he added, no witnesses were called to say that anyone was promised a new home in exchange for their vote.