AFN Lawyer Says Compensation Deal In Jeopardy

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 14:56

Residential school survivors got some answers at a conference in Saskatoon yesterday about a compensation agreement announced in November.

The gathering was hosted by the Assembly of First Nations and the FSIN, and saw AFN lead negotiator Kathleen Mahoney answer some common questions about the “common experience payment” survivors are in line for.

The AFN has been saying for quite some time that regardless of who wins the election, the settlement agreement could not be altered or ignored, as it’s now in the hands of the courts.

But Mahoney says the whole deal could fall apart if the Conservatives follow through on their stated plans to make some adjustments to the agreement.

Mahoney also says the early payments to elderly survivors are scheduled to be processed within a matter of weeks, as long as federal politics doesn’t get in the way.

As for the other survivors, she says they will likely have to wait until November before they receive their payments.