NDP, SaskParty Exchange Barbs On Duty To Consult

NDP, SaskParty Exchange Barbs On Duty To Consult

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 15:14

Saskatchewan’s Minister of First Nations and Metis Relations is calling an NDP MLA’s recent comments about the government’s ongoing duty to consult negotiations “unprofessional”.

June Draude says NDP First Nations and Metis Relations critic Warren McCall isn’t helping Aboriginal groups with his statements.

McCall says the Saskatchewan Party government seems to “be happy to nail down First Nations and Metis people in some kind of never-ending roundtable”.

But Draude says, unlike her government, the previous NDP administration didn’t consult with Aboriginal groups when designing a policy about resource extraction and development.

Draude says First Nations and Metis groups have until June 1st to provide feedback to the government’s current draft policy, after being granted an extension last month.

She says a final policy will be in place by the end of the summer — and will contain stronger wording on the place of treaties, as well as clarification on the issuing of permits on Aboriginal traditional territory.

McCall says the Saskatchewan Party government has a responsibility to do much more for Aboriginal peoples than it has been doing.