Parties offer policies on supporting urban Aboriginal population

October 8, 2015

In a survey that went out to all four major parties in the federal election, the City of Calgary asked for response on nine major topics, among which was the funding of Aboriginal strategies. The City of Calgary is home to over 27,000 Aboriginal peoples. In March 2014, the city proclaimed the “Year of Reconciliation.”

Below are the responses provided by the New Democratic, Liberal and Green parties. The Conservatives did not respond. Answers may have been paraphrased or edited.
For the complete survey response, check out www.citiesmatter.ca.

What is your party’s position on the ‘improved’ Urban Aboriginal Strategy adopted in April 2014?

NDP: The NDP is committed to work with friendship centres and urban Indigenous organizations to renew and ensure the long-run sustainability of the Urban Aboriginal Strategy. We need to improve essential infrastructure in urban areas including better Aboriginal housing. 

Liberals: Aboriginal friendship centres play a critical role in delivering culturally enhanced programs and services to meet the needs of Canada’s growing urban Indigenous population. A Liberal government will work in partnership with the Aboriginal friendship centre movement to ensure sufficient, predictable, and sustained funding so they can continue to provide culturally appropriate “wrap-around” service delivery for the growing Indigenous population in Canada’s urban centres. 

Green: The Green Party supports the Urban Aboriginal Strategy in principle but will advocate to improve both its funding and its structure. While we support the initiatives in the program, it is clear that they were developed
without proper consultation with Aboriginal people. For example, the Assembly of First Nations passed a resolution earlier this year stating that First Nations "have not had an opportunity to provide input into the development of the now revised UAS." The Métis National Council expressed disappointment that "the Harper government has decided to bypass" elected Métis governments in major urban centres such as Winnipeg and Edmonton. We will work with Indigenous communities to restructure the Urban Aboriginal Strategy to reach its full potential as a tool to help urban Aboriginal people
participate fully in the economy. 

What policies will your party propose to support urban Aboriginals and help urban Aboriginals participate in the shared prosperity of our community? 
NDP:   Starting from the very beginning, government must ensure Indigenous youth have the best opportunity to succeed and build a life based on their proud heritage and culture. The NDP will improve health outcomes in Canada by taking a preventive approach to health care, through providing targeted funding to improve urban Indigenous health outcomes. The Canada Student Grants program will receive additional funding of up to $100 million
per year to make education more affordable, with an emphasis on helping low-income and Indigenous students, as well as students living with disabilities. 

Liberals: Urban Indigenous peoples will benefit from our new 10-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure, through which we will prioritize, among other things, new investments in affordable housing and funding the creation of thousands of new affordable child care spaces. Further, a Liberal government will call a federal provincial meeting to reach a long-term agreement on health care funding and to talk about how to strengthen health care. We will also re-engage in areas of health where there is direct federal responsibility, including health promotion, support to caregivers, and First Nations’ health. 

How will your party foster reconciliation and healing with our Aboriginal population and how will you foster greater understanding and cooperation between our Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations? 
NDP:  It’s time for a new era – a nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous peoples based on real cooperation and meaningful consultation that respects inherent Aboriginal rights. That era starts with fundamental respect. And it includes educating our children about our shared
history. Canadian children need to know that Indigenous peoples are the backbone and motivators behind much of the essential environmental and social justice activism that exists in Canada today.
All Canadian children should appreciate the central role that First Nations, Metis and Inuit people have in the history of our lands and our future. They should know about the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and why it is so important that we stand with Indigenous peoples and commit to healing and reconciliation. Canada is stronger when we work together towards a better future for all peoples. The NDP will
take action on the TRC’s recommendations in consultation with Indigenous communities. 

Liberals: A Liberal government will, as a matter of national priority, develop a Federal Reconciliation Framework, created in full partnership with Indigenous peoples. We will establish a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples in Canada, which respects Indigenous rights, Canada’s
constitutional and international obligations, as well as the decisions of our courts. A Liberal government will ensure progress on these and other issues through a new Kelowna process. We will make sure the Kelowna Accord – and the
spirit of reconciliation that drove it – is embraced, and that its objectives are met, in line with today’s challenges. 

Green: As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission so clearly and eloquently sets out, a full recognition and address of the lingering, multigenerational effects of colonialism, paternalism, racism and cultural genocide are the only basis for real reconciliation and partnership. Based on truth, Canada has a chance for a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples, whether rural or urban, and a real chance to build a country together.
Only a shared recognition of the history and impact of Canada’s shameful Aboriginal policies affecting First Nations, Métis, urban Aboriginal people and Inuit, will support the extraordinary commitment required to right historical wrongs.
Canada must support the healing of inter-generational trauma with a commitment to a National Healing Strategy developed in partnership with Indigenous peoples. 

Do you support an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women? 
NDP:  Absolutely. It is shameful that an inquiry into missing and murdered Aboriginal women has not already been launched and the NDP would fix this within the first 100 days of our government. An NDP government will work with women’s groups and Indigenous communities and organizations to create a comprehensive and coordinated national action plan to end violence against
women. The National Action Plan will have dedicated funding and clear benchmarks. The plan will focus on women who are most vulnerable to violence, including Indigenous women. 

Liberals: A Liberal government will immediately launch a national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada. An inquiry would seek to recommend concrete actions that governments, law enforcement, and others can take to solve these crimes and
prevent future ones. We understand this issue cannot be confronted by ignoring uncomfortable truths, but by understanding and taking action to deal with the root causes of this national tragedy. 
The process by which the inquiry will be established will be fully inclusive, and empowered to bring justice for the victims, healing for their families, and to help deliver a plan of action to
put an end to this ongoing national tragedy. 

In addition, we will also immediately begin to deal with many of the root causes of this violence by re-engaging with Indigenous communities in a renewed, respectful, and inclusive Nation-to-Nation process to advance progress on critical issues such as: housing, infrastructure, health and mental health care, community safety and policing, child welfare, and education.

Green:  The ongoing crisis of
missing and murdered Indigenous women must be urgently addressed. We will launch a national inquiry and fight to ensure that structural violence against Indigenous communities is addressed.