No apology from Pallister for comments on Manitoba Metis Federation-Hydro deal

Premier Brian Pallisterrefused to apologize for comments he made about the Manitoba MetisFederation and its quashed deal with Manitoba Hydro.

Over the weekend, the federation passed a resolution at its annual general assembly,demanding an apology for calling theMMF's$67.5-million deal with Hydro "hush money" for a special interest group.

Pallister was at anannouncement in La Broquerie for the expansion of mobile cellular services when he was asked about the resolution.

"No, I don't regret that statement at all,"Pallistersaid. "We're not in the business, as a government, of trying to buy favour by paying money to people so they like us. What we are in thebusiness of is making sure people are compensated fully and fairly when a hydro project or any other government-led project is built."

The deal would have ensured MMFsupport forthe $453-million Manitoba-Minnesota transmission line, targeted to be completed and send power to the U.S. by 2020, as well as other Hydro projects throughout the province over the next several decades.

The resolution, which the MMF says was passed unanimously by the more than 3,000 delegates at its annual general assembly Sunday, comes a day after the federal government announced a $154-million reconciliation agreement that moves the MMF closer to its ultimate goal of self-government.