PAGC leadership hopefuls make one final push for votes
The three men vying to secure leadership of the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) made one final push for delegate votes during the opening day of the group’s annual legislative assembly.
Elmer Ballantyne, from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Brian J. Hardlotte from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, and Charles A. Whitecap from the Shoal Lake Cree Nation are competing to replace outgoing Grand Chief Ron Michel who is retiring after four-decades in politics.
The three candidates each took the podium Monday night to lay out their vision of the future for the grand council. The common themes included the need for better representation of membership around the table, examining treaty rights, and the improvement of education, healthcare and housing.
Whitecap focused heavily on his comprehensive restructuring plans for the PAGC. The reform, he said, would be more than just “window dressing” but “actual changes… to reflect what we need today.”