Human rights bill reintroduced after three decades

A lapsed bill that would give Canadian human rights protection to First Nations people on reserves is finally being revived after 30 years.
MPs approved the Conservative bill on May 28 and now it heads to the Senate for consideration.
The legislation calls for First Nation members to be allowed to make formal human rights complaints against band councils or Ottawa, something they were barred from doing under the Canadian Human Rights Act.
The act, originally passed in 1977, temporarily exempted reserves to give bands time to prepare for the complaints process, but it was never discussed again.
In an attempt to close the loophole, the legislation was first announced in December 2006 again, but was put on hold while the Conservatives agreed to several opposition changes, including a three-year phase-in period and clauses to protect collective native rights.
The government originally wanted the legislation to take effect in six months, stating that it was important to shield people on reserves against discrimination, and give them full human rights protections.
This time the bill was stalled by Aboriginal leaders from across Canada who claimed the bill in its original form gave cash-strapped First Nations too little time to prepare for potentially costly complaints and that the government failed to consult them in its process.