AFN watching for Trudeau’s first steps forward

Expectations are high following the Liberals overwhelming federal election victory Oct. 19. Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde says Prime Minister-Elect Justin Trudeau needs to deliver if Canada is going to “win as a country.”

“If we can start closing the gap and make those investment – and that’s how it should be looked upon, as investments – … that’s in the best interest of the country. That high socio-economic gap that exists will come down, and the high cost attributed to that gap in maintaining the status quo will come down, and that’s what it’s all about, and that’s what our hope and plan is, to see that happen,” said Bellegarde.

The AFN isn’t the only Aboriginal organization counting on Trudeau to deliver. Metis National Council President Clément Chartier said in a statement that he was “full of hope … the Metis Nation now has an opportunity to engage with the new government on a nation-to-nation, government-to-government, distinctions-based approach in the pursuit of Metis rights, recognition and self-determination.”

Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit political executive in British Columbia, called upon Trudeau to “work with Aboriginal communities and citizens across Canada to ensure our issues are given the top priority they deserve.”

While no numbers are in yet, Bellegarde believes that Indigenous people made their priorities an issue by turning out to vote in large numbers. He knows of chiefs who shut down band offices in order to bus voters to the polls. Across the country, there were a handful of First Nations that ran out of ballots because the turnout was higher than Elections Canada had anticipated. In 2011, only 44 per cent of voters marked ballots.

“I believe it’s gone up but we’re going to have to wait to do the assessment,” said Bellegarde.

The AFN had also targeted 51 ridings in which the Indigenous vote could make a difference. Of those ridings, the Conservatives lost 12 seats and the Liberals went up by 24. Once more, no numbers are available to determine if Indigenous voters made those changes possible.

This election saw a record number of Indigenous candidates at 54, with the Liberal party running 18 and the New Democratic Party with 22. The 10 Indigenous MPs elected also sets a record.

With eight of them members of the Liberal government, Bellegarde is hopeful they “can influence change from inside.”

Bellegarde singles out former AFN BC regional chief and lawyer Jody Wilson-Raybould, who won in the riding of Vancouver Granville, as an appropriate fit for Trudeau’s smaller, gender-equal Cabinet. 

“She’d be a logical choice, but again that’s not my decision. But I could recommend to the Prime Minister to consider those things,” he said.

The two other successful Indigenous candidates are NDP. However, the Liberals are considering a recount in the riding of Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River (Manitoba), where NDP candidate Georgina Jolibois defeated Liberal Lawrence Joseph by only 70 votes.

Bellegarde said he and Trudeau are working on a date when they can meet “to begin the whole process of dialogue and partnership and developing an action plan.”

A day after his election victory, Trudeau was still emphasizing rebuilding and renewing Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples. He has also reiterated his call to hold a public national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women.

Trudeau has even adopted the term “closing the gap,” said Bellegarde, which is the name of the report issued by the AFN during the federal election. The report outlined AFN priorities and the issues that needed to be addressed in order to put First Nations people on equal footing with the rest of Canada. The AFN asked the political parties to respond to the report. In scoring responses, the Liberal party finished just below the NDP, whose response hit all of the AFN’s issues. But Bellegarde isn’t concerned.

“I think on the surface the party platforms are really comparable,” he said. “(The Liberals) have a very robust plan in terms of responding to closing the gap. In fact the Prime Minister referred to that in his comments everywhere that he was going to work with Indigenous people to close the gap.”

In post-election comments, Trudeau also referred to respecting Supreme Court of Canada decisions.

“Which I can infer (from that) makes reference to the Williams case, the Tsilhqot’in case, which is a first time again that Aboriginal right and title were recognized and affirmed. Those are very strong statements,” said Bellegarde.

At this point, he says, there are two issues that will make it clear fairly soon whether or not the Trudeau government is delivering on its promises.

The first is convening a national inquiry on murdered and missing women. NDP leader Tom Mulcair had committed to delivering on that promise within his first 100 days in office if he formed the government.

The second will come in the delivery of the federal budget on April 1.

“Removal of the two per cent funding cap. That will be a major, major movement in terms of closing the gap and holding their feet to the fire,” said Bellegarde.

The Liberals formed a majority government with 184 seats. The Conservatives are now the Official Opposition with 99 seats and in the process of selecting an interim leader as Stephen Harper stepped down. The NDP dropped to 44 seats. The Bloc Quebecois took 10 seats and Green Party leader Elizabeth May retained her seat.