Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Liberal government must be clear with Canadians about the costs and impacts of their policies aimed at rebuilding Canada’s relationship with First Nations, says Cathy McLeod, Conservative
Party Critic for Indigenous Affairs.
The Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP released a joint statement with deputy critic Todd Doherty in response to the release on Dec. 15 of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
The report formally documented the tragic legacy of Canada’s notorious residential school system, and made 94 recommendations on how to improve relations between indigenous and non-indigenous people in this country.
In completing its nearly 4,000-page report, titled “Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future,” the six-year TRC investigation heard thousands of hours of emotional testimony from indigenous women and men who were abused as children in the government- and church-run residential schools.
Some of the TRC recommendations include more education funding for aboriginal students; addressing the overrepresentation of aboriginal people in the criminal justice system; the preservation of aboriginal languages; the creation of a public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls; and the creation of a statutory holiday and memorials to honour residential school survivors.
Speaking on behalf of the Official Opposition, McLeod and Doherty say that while the TRC made “many positive recommendations” the Liberal government’s acceptance of all 94 recommendations is irresponsible “with no detailed impact analysis or comprehensive costing.”
McLeod and Doherty are also critical of the Liberal plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which calls on governments to obtain “free, prior and informed consent,” when making decisions regarding land use and natural resource development on First Nations territory.
The Conservatives are worried existing Canadian laws could be superseded by the automatic acceptance of the UN Declaration.
“While the courts have been clear that First Nations have a right to be consulted on major development projects, it is important that the federal government must maintain final authority for those projects which are in Canada’s national interest.”
In the statement, the Conservatives also acknowledged the formal apology in 2008 by then Prime Minister Stephen Harper to former students of residential schools.
“Through the apology, the government of Canada rightfully recognized that the residential schools policy had a damaging impact on indigenous and aboriginal culture, heritage and language.”
