Ucluelet First Nation president Les Doiron is fighting back against protesters who are accusing his government of secrecy and has called for a forensic audit of his government, but those protestors say an audit isn’t what they’re looking for.
“This government has nothing to hide, and we strongly reject the baseless and false allegations being made by this clique of individuals, some who served in the previous administration,” Doiron said in a statement Thursday evening announcing the audit.
“We will even go another step further, as today, I am calling for an immediate full forensic audit of UFN government operations and our holdings side (YFN Holdings L.P.) since not only the beginning of this term, but the previous one. The people of this Nation deserve to know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
Protesters shut down the Ucluelet First Nation’s government building in Hitacu on July 17 and Doiron announced Thursday that the building would remain closed until at least Monday.
“The intimidation tactics must stop. This clique has harassed and bullied YG employees and has some government workers fearing for their safety. This must stop immediately as a small group of disgruntled citizens should not be allowed to disrupt and bully elected officials and staff who are charged with making decisions, and our employees, who have been kept from their jobs,” he said.
“There is no place for mob rule, or the threat of violence, in a civilized society. This is not who we are. The time and place to bring about that change is provided for in the laws.”
Doiron remained adamant that he would not resign.
“There is much greater financial accountability today in this government, based on changes made in the last two years,” he said.
“This government was democratically elected by our citizens to govern for four years, and we have every intention of fulfilling our mandate…We will not give into this or any small clique who seem intent on bullying members of this government and our public servants who have been prevented from providing the services our members expect and depend upon. This has to stop.”
Jenny Touchie, a Ucluelet First Nation member who has been active in the protest against Doiron, said the president’s audit announcement missed the mark.
“We question the decision making ability and judgement of the key positions that have a drastic effect on citizen’s rights and well-beings; that would be the president and the director of operations,” she said.
“We never asked for a forensic audit. We don’t have money for that kind of an engagement. The financial resources that it’s going to take to outlay that, I think, is a foolish way to spend the money.”
Touchie added that she was disheartened by the wording Doiron used in his announcement that cast protestors as a small clique of bullies.
“To be labeled as a bully when we are trying to simply protect all of our citizens well-being, and their rights, is quite disheartening and to hear that kind of a comment from someone in an elected position like that is really sad,” she said.
She said the concerned citizens would not be deterred from fighting for a new president and they plan to reconvene as a group in the coming days to investigate their possible next steps.
“We essentially have lost confidence in [Doiron’s] leadership abilities and we’re requesting that he resign and that we look for a leader that will be able to fulfill all of their duties in the lawful, appropriate and respectful way,” she said.
“It’s about us being able to voice our opinions and it’s about us being able to have the ability to be successful, to have opportunities in our community, to be healthy and all of those good things. That’s what we’re fighting for. I don’t know exactly how long it’s going to take us to get there or what the next step is; all I know is, we are not done and we refuse to give in to someone that is not willing to listen to citizens.”