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Deninu Ku'e chooses new band councillor Paul Bickford Northern News Services Published Monday, February 20, 2012
Frank "Rocky" Lafferty, who had previously served on council for about five years, won the byelection, which featured five candidates. The new councillor will complete the term of the late Raymond Simon, who was elected to a four-year term last February but died in December after a battle with cancer. Lafferty called Simon a respected band member and councillor. "I'm real honoured to be filling his seat," he said, noting he and Simon worked closely together when they served together on council. Lafferty said he will do his best as councillor in memory of Simon and to serve the membership of the First Nation. In the byelection, Lafferty collected 57 votes, compared to 39 for second-place finisher Angela McKay. The three other candidates were well back - Rachel Lafferty had 14 votes, Lloyd Norn received eight and Philip Beaulieu tallied four. Prior to the byelection, McKay had argued she should have been appointed to fill the vacant seat. In last year's elections, she received the most votes among the candidates who failed to win a seat and her understanding of the band's customary election code was that she was next in line to sit on council. Band council consulted a lawyer on the customary election code and opted for the byelection. "I pretty much agree with them having a byelection, because it is a long term to finish off," Lafferty said. "It's three years, and there's nothing in the election code stating that they have to appoint someone, and they got clarification from lawyers on it. It cost them a little bit of money to get this advice. I would stick by that." Lafferty, 40, said he enjoyed his previous time on council, and he is looking forward to again helping band members. "Work with other people is what I want to do, make things move ahead and not look back," he said. In all, 122 members of Deninu Ku'e First Nation cast ballots out of 782 people on the voters list. That list includes all voting age members of the band, not just those living in Fort Resolution. Band members had to show up at the polling station in Fort Resolution to vote.
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