N.W.T. chiefs salaries prove modest under Transparency Act

The complete list of N.W.T. chief’s salaries published under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act shows that chiefs in the territory are earning modest salaries.

At least two chiefs say making that fact public was a good thing.

“I think it’s great,” says Greg Laboucan, chief of the K'asho Got'ine Charter Community Council in Fort Good Hope. “We need to be accountable to our community members, our residents and to everybody.”

All told, Laboucan’s salary comes out to roughly $65,000.

Laboucan says his community recently held its annual general meeting, which included a presentation from their auditor on the new act.

“People were very satisfied,” he says. “They got to see some samples of other communities throughout Canada.”

Laboucan says northern chief’s salaries are modest compared to some highly publicized ones in B.C., for example, but he says it’s irresponsible to compare salaries.

“Because every First Nation is different and the responsibilities are different.”

Alvin Orleas is the chief of the Behdzi Ahda First Nation in Colville Lake. 

His salary — about $56,000 — was also posted on the government website.

He says he believes the new rules for bands will be good for everyone.

“Our people have a right to know how much their leaders are getting paid and that we’re not in there for the money.”

Orleas points out that serving as chief is more than a 9 to 5 job. In smaller communities, it can mean being on call 24/7.

“I probably would have been really struggling if it wasn’t for my wife. She’s working,” he says. “We have a lot of children but we’re making ends meet.”

Many factors determine salaries

Anil Verma, a professor of industrial relations and human resources at the University of Toronto, says there are many variables in determining a fair salary. For instance, CEO of corporations are paid differently, from hundreds of thousands to millions. He says their compensation depends on the scope of their responsibilities. 

"If you're responsible for a very large corporation and for delivering large amounts of profits, then of course that person is generally paid more," he said. 

But increasingly, he says profitability is becoming more important than size in determining wages. In the public sector, he says numerous factors come into play. 

"How large is the band, what are its activities, what are the responsibilities, what are its revenues, and determine within that if what the chief is being paid is commensurate with the scope of his or her responsibilities."

* Joachim Bonnetrouge was paid $48,639 for nine months, plus per diems, equal to about $68,435 per year
**Wilfred McNeely Jr. was paid $13,154 for four months, which equals $39,462 per year
***Tim Lennie was paid $22,825 for five months
****Sharon Pellisey was paid $23,410 for seven months
*****Phillip Blake's salary includes salary for also serving as mayor of community