With the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools in B.C. and Saskatchewan, tensions surrounding moderate livelihood fisheries in Atlantic Canada, a string of broken promises to provide clean water and infrastructure and the recent National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Ottawa's relationship with Indigenous people is strained.
What key issue will the next government have to solve?
Canada's next government will have to come up with an adequate response to the discovery of thousands of unmarked graves and the impact of residential schools, address issues plaguing First Nations and Indigenous communities, deal with drinking water issues and move toward reconciliation.
Where the leaders stand ...
The Erin O'Toole-led Conservatives have promised to implement all Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, fund investigation of all former residential schools in Canada and strengthen education on the history of residential schools.
The Conservatives have also promised to end all long-term drinking water advisories, a National Action Plan to address violence against Indigenous women and girls and consultations to overhaul current funding models – with policies meant to encourage Indigenous self-governance.
O'Toole also promised to create a corporation to support First Nations and Inuit organizations seeking a greater stake in major infrastructure and resource projects and pledged $5 billion in capital for Indigenous investments in those projects, a stronger and more transparent consultation process and an improved application and funding process to connect Indigenous communities to broadband.
“My first question in the House of Commons as opposition leader was on reconciliation. I will commit to making real progress because there’s already a path. The calls to action from the truth and reconciliation commission report gives us a roadmap to rebuild trust between the federal government, Canadians and Indigenous peoples,” O’Toole said in a Sept. 7 video addressed to Student Vote Canada.
The Conservatives are pledging $1 billion to fund Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs, alongside funding support for Indigenous businesses and programming to reduce incarceration in Indigenous communities.
The NDP has promised to fully implement the United Nation Declaration of Rights of Indigenous peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation's 94 Calls to Action in a national action plan and set a standard of free, prior informed consent for communities impacted by government decisions.
“I want to see a real commitment to working with Indigenous people to support them in the search for other potential unmarked grave sites and in the trauma that these discoveries are causing...so, what I want to see is justice,” Singh said during a speech at a campaign stop in Ontario.
The NDP has also promised to hire a special prosecutor to litigate those who've inflicted the most harm through Canada's residential schools and fully fund the search for gravesites at former residential schools, alongside maintenance, commemoration, reburial and protection of residential school cemeteries.
The Liberal Party has pledged $18 billion to fund necessities, infrastructure and essential services for Indigenous communities.
“Over the past six years, we have stepped up on the path of reconciliation. We have ended boil water advisories in 109 different communities, we have made sure that tens of thousands of young people get to go to school in better classrooms, we continue to move forward on fighting …for the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and ensuring true partnership as we move forward in respect,” Trudeau, touting the accomplishments, on the reconciliation file, of his government during the English language federal leaders’ debate on Sept. 9.
That includes continuing $4 billion in funding for a series of water infrastructure projects in Indigenous communities to hit a missed goal of removing all boil water advisories by March 2021. The Liberals are also pledging $2.5 billion over five years for Indigenous early learning and childcare.
The Liberals have promised to address the legacy of residential schools and colonialism, work toward self-determined Indigenous communities and provide an Indigenous urban, rural and northern housing strategy.
The Green Party's platform promises to implement all calls from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Truth and Reconciliation Commission and UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
“Indigenous sovereignty, nation-to-nation engagement – that is my commitment,” said Green Leader Annamie Paul during the federal leaders’ debate.
The Greens are also promising to end all drinking water and boil water advisories alongside a suite of promises to support Indigenous community health and education initiatives.
