By-Election Candidate Says Liberals Are Inclusive

By-Election Candidate Says Liberals Are Inclusive

Thursday, July 02, 2009 at 16:22

 

 

A former Saskatchewan Party candidate now running for the Liberals says her party is including Aboriginal people.

 

Eileen Gelowitz ran for the Saskatchewan Party in the last election, but says she has always been a Liberal and made no secret about it.

 

The member of the Big River First Nation says she ran under the Sask Party banner because she wanted to educate the party about Aboriginal issues.

 

However, she says she is disillusioned by how the party tackles those issues, and says the Liberal party has made a three-part commitment to Aboriginal people.

 

“It’s the first time in history that this has ever been done. In 500 years, there has never been a time where a political party specifically included and specifically made a commitment to the First Nations and Metis people. We are actually being included,” Gelowitz says.

 

The commitment includes using treaties as a blueprint for partnership, implementing a representative workforce strategy at all levels of government, and creating a secretariat within the premier’s office to directly address Aboriginal issues.

 

The Saskatchewan NDP has acclaimed Danielle Chartier as their candidate in the Saskatoon Riversdale riding.

 

The Saskatchewan Party will be represented by Corey O’Soup, a member of the Key First Nation.

 

A by-election to fill the seat vacated by former NDP leader Lorne Calvert is expected some time this fall.