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Statement from Labrador Inuit Association
(Nain, NL.) March 01, 2004. Regarding rescission of LIA Board
decision to compensate Labrador Inuit upon voting on the Labrador
Inuit Land Claims Agreement.
President William Andersen III states, “On February 19,
the LIA Board of Directors voted unanimously to make a payment,
after the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement comes into effect,
to each Labrador Inuk who votes on the ratification of the Agreement.
That decision was not formally announced by LIA but became widely
known. I think it is extremely important for people to understand
the context in which this initial decision was made.”
Fifty per cent plus one of eligible voters, not just 50 per
cent of those who turn out to vote, must ratify the Labrador
Inuit Land Claims Agreement. As a Board of Directors, there
was concern about people not understanding that and we were
looking for a way to get people to participate in the democratic
process. The decision was made in the best interests of Labrador
Inuit to encourage large voter turnout and not to undermine
the democratic process.
“The most devastating thing that could happen on voting
day is that our land claims agreement is not ratified because
not enough people took the time to vote,” states President
Andersen. “That’s what this was about.”
After concerns were expressed by the federal and provincial
governments, and by LIA’s legal advisor, the Board reviewed
the decision and concluded that, while it was made with the
best of intentions, the Board may not have considered the implications
of the decision for the perceived fairness of the voting process.
Therefore, on February 26, the LIA Board held thorough discussions
about the implications of its decision, and subsequently voted,
by a narrow margin, to rescind its earlier decision.
The LIA Board and President William Andersen, support the land
claims agreement. It is a good Agreement. LIA wants all members
to learn about and understand the Agreement, and to vote for
its ratification on voting day. Members can become more informed
by attending upcoming information sessions, held in each community,
as well as through the Agreement documents that are available
to all members. These documents have been provided to members
and are also available on the Nunatsiavut website (www.nunatsiavut.com).
The Labrador Inuit Association represents over 5,300 Labrador
Inuit. Labrador Inuit who live in Northern Labrador, other parts
of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
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Contact: June Perry
709-753-0794
709 682-2682
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