AFN head urges support for child welfare deal, says they won't get better from Tories
The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations is urging chiefs to vote in favour of a landmark child welfare deal, saying she doesn't think a better agreement would be possible under a different federal government.
First Nations chiefs are gathering in Calgary today as they prepare to vote on a $47.8-billion child welfare reform agreement with Ottawa.
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters
The deal was struck in July between Canada, the Chiefs of Ontario, Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Assembly of First Nations after a nearly two-decade legal fight over Canada's underfunding of on-reserve child welfare services.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal said that was discriminatory and tasked Canada with coming to an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, along with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster care.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says there are some shortfalls in the agreement, but she is urging chiefs to vote in favour of the deal so it is in place before the next federal election.
Woodhouse Nepinak says she's tried to build bridges with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, but she can't guarantee a better deal could be reached with him based on that party's record on Indigenous issues and its promise to cut spending.
Chiefs in Ontario voted in support of the agreement last week, but the AFN is set to discuss three resolutions this week calling for the deal to be struck down or renegotiated.
Chiefs have raised concerns since before July that the agreement was being negotiated in secret, while experts have said the deal doesn't go far enough to ensure Canada's discrimination never happens again.
The AFN's special assembly continues until Friday, with chiefs expected to vote on the deal Thursday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They thought he wasn't making it': B.C. soccer star's family on his shocking shooting — and remarkable recovery
Born and raised in Metro Vancouver, Nathan Demian was living his dream playing soccer for top-ranked Ohio State University, when he was shot during a post-game pizza run with his brother Saturday night.
MPs approve $21.6B in supplementary spending; Conservatives vote against
Parliament has approved $21.6 billion in government spending, in a late Tuesday vote in the House of Commons.
No injuries reported after gunshots fired inside Etobicoke high school, 2 suspects outstanding
Toronto police are searching for two suspects after gunshots were fired inside an Etobicoke high school late Tuesday afternoon.
DEVELOPING Luigi Mangione shouts as he is led into courthouse where he contests extradition to N.Y.
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder.
Celebrities and coastal residents flee from wind-driven wildfire in Malibu
Evacuation orders and warnings have gone out to 20,000 Southern California residents Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrities' seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, the sheriff's department said.
Waterloo Region mistakenly applied $13.7M discount to Amazon build in Blair
The Region of Waterloo will not be able to demand $13.7 million from a developer after they said a discount was mistakenly issued for the development of an Amazon fulfillment centre.
Dolly Parton explains why her longtime husband doesn't attend events with her
Dolly Parton has been married for 58 years, but you probably could count on one hand the times you have seen her with her husband.
'Which one of those two is going to win?': Poilievre prods Trudeau, Freeland over spending tension
Revived talk of tensions between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland prompted new questions Tuesday, about how big the federal deficit will be in next week's economic update.
Ex-minister cites 'threat to security' for denying emergency passport to Abdelrazik
Former foreign minister Lawrence Cannon says he denied an emergency passport to Abousfian Abdelrazik in 2009 because he considered the Montreal man a possible threat to national security.