Put up the money

Page 5

Dear Editor:

I was very shocked and disturbed by Stephen Harper's Conservative government. It provides very little money for First Nation, Metis and Inuit people. The Conservatives have promised around $1 billion for Aboriginal people, which includes $450 million more for the improvement of water quality and housing on reserves, as well as to improve education outcomes and socio-economic conditions for Aboriginal women, children and families, and another $600 million for housing for urban and northern communities.

I certainly do believe the money for housing is a good idea and I am glad to see that they are recognizing the needs of our urban people, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to what Kelowna Agreement ($5.1 billion) would have done for our people. Most will remember the Kelowna Agreement, which took two years to build and was a comprehensive 10-year plan to lift Aboriginal communities out of poverty and horrendous living conditions. It was to provide an equal quality of life as compared to the rest of Canada.

This was an historic agreement, as the federal government, all of the provinces and territories and the leaders of Canada's national Aboriginal organizations agreed to this deal. Instead the Conservatives would tear it up and offer a piece-meal policy approach to Aboriginal issues, rather than addressing them comprehensively. I would encourage you to contact your local Member of Parliament, your Aboriginal leadership and local and national media to let them know that you disapprove of the Conservative budget.

-Josh Fraser