If parties want to get elected, 'you better care about our issues' says AFN chief

"Where's our 'yes' from this Conservative government for First Nations people?"

That's the question National Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations is asking as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission wraps up six years of hearings and research into the residential schools system -- and as the Conservative government has mostly stayed silent on whether or not they will move to act on the TRC's 94 recommendations. 

Harper won't commit to TRC recommendations

9 years ago

Duration 6:04

Prime Minister Stephen Harper tells the House of Commons he needs to examine the full Truth and Reconciliation report before deciding to act on all 94 recommendations within it.

Those recommendations range from drafting new and revised legislation for education, child welfare and aboriginal languages to implementing the UN's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and creating a national inquiry into murdered and missing Aboriginal women.

You can read the full report right here.

TRC must 'stand test of time'

9 years ago

Duration 1:06

Commissioner Murray Sinclair tells reporters that the Truth and Reconciliation report was written for not just the current government, but future governments who will continue to reconcile Canada's history with Indian Residential Schools.

Bellegarde told The House his top priorities are education and child welfare, and that he's waiting for action from the government on those fronts. 

"Everybody else seems to be getting a yes from the Conservatives," he said. "There's tax credits for families, businesses are getting tax cuts, everybody's getting a yes. Except us."

Everybody else seems to be getting a yes from the Conservatives. There's tax credits for families, businesses are getting tax cuts, everybody's getting a yes. Except us.- Perry Bellegarde, AFN National Chief

Bellegarde pointed to the funding gap in education as something that could be immediately addressed by the federal government, responsible for funding on-reserve education.

"First Nations students on reserve are funded about 30 per cent less than non-Aboriginals," he said. "Tuition is $6,500 per child. In the provincial school systems it's up to almost $11,000 per child, in the French school systems it's almost $20,000. So there's a huge fiscal gap."

The Conservatives' 2015 budget sets aside $200 million over five years beginning in 2015-2016 to "help support First Nations to achieve better education outcomes, including building partnerships with provincial school systems" while an additional $12 million will provide post-secondary scholarships to First Nations and Inuit students.

But the National Chief said that's not enough. 

"The investment that is needed is huge," he told Solomon. "But again, it's an investment. Invest in the fastest growing segment of Canada's population. That's going to be good for this country."

"We've got to make these things an election issue"

With a federal election just months away, Bellegarde said the focus for Aboriginal Canadians is on changing a historically low voter turnout. In the 2011 federal election, the voter rate on reserve was 44 per cent compared to 61 per cent across the country.

"If we get our voters out, we can influence 51 ridings," he said. "First Nations' votes matter.If you want to get elected, you better care about our issues."

But Bellegarde said he won't be telling people which party to vote for. 

"The only card I carry is a status card," he said. "A national chief is supposed to be non-partisan. But obviously you can look at the different party stances and the political platforms they have. Some are more favourable. People should make an educated and informed decision."