Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton wants the province to cover the legal expenses of a remote first nation community that was involving in a mining dispute with Platinex.
In the legislature yesterday, Hampton says Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation should be given the same consideration the province provided to the mining company.
"If the McGuinty government has $5 million for Platinex Inc., a company that showed no respect for First Nation rights, no respect for treaty rights," says Hampton, "will the McGuinty government do the fair, reasonable and decent thing and also compensate the First Nation, a very poor First Nation, for the more than $700,000 in legal costs they incurred in defending their constitutional rights?"
Hampton says the K-I band was forced to take money from its housing, recreation and education budgets to pay for its legal costs.
