Yellowknife (Apr 18/03) - Members of the North Slave Metis Alliance remain tight-lipped over a recent audit revealing questionable spending by deposed president Clem Paul.

The audit, carried out by the Yellowknife firm of McKay Financial Services, tracked credit card charges, telephone expenses, use of Alliance vehicles and travel, including a trip to the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

Paul's presidency was suspended by the alliance board late last year in anticipation of the audit.

Neither Paul nor interim alliance president Bob Turner were available for comment. Both are running for president in the May 3 alliance elections.

Current Alliance board member Fred Lemouel wouldn't talk about the audit's contents.

"There's a general meeting coming up and we'll talk about it then," he said.

The meeting is scheduled for April 24 at Northern United Place.

Douglas wants a change

North Douglas, who's running for president against Turner and Paul, said the audit proves the alliance needs to make major changes.

"We need to go in and clean the board and the constitution up." Douglas said he hasn't yet received a copy of the audit in the mail, but said alliance members are getting tired of all the infighting.

"You never really know what's happening," he said. "(The board) says one thing but they always mean something else."

Douglas said he was part of the group that founded the alliance and worries that it has strayed far from its original purpose -- to provide employment and business opportunities for Northern Metis.

"The only people that are making money these days are the lawyers and our members are getting nothing," he said. "All we're doing is fighting. What the hell is going on here?"

Douglas is not confident the general meeting will solve the alliance's problems.

He said a lot of people are afraid to speak out before the election.

"As it stands right now they can expel anybody, they can revoke anybody's membership."

Former alliance treasurer Bill Enge said the audit shows that Clem Paul must be replaced. Enge is currently fighting the revocation of his alliance membership in court.

Enge said the organization claimed a $1.6 million profit last year, on top of the core funding they receive from the federal government.

"The organization is more or less well oiled as far as its funding goes," he said. "But this money is supposed to be used for employment and training."

Enge said many members of the Alliance are afraid to speak out because they worry Paul will take them to court.

"He's done it before. People are afraid of him," he said. "I think there was some reluctance from the board members to take action before this because they were afraid that his reaction would be severe. He's ruthless."

Other board members didn't return calls from Yellowknifer asking for comment.