On-Reserve Child Welfare Complaint At Risk

On-Reserve Child Welfare Complaint At Risk

Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 12:58

A First Nations lobby group says it is worried the federal government may escape a human rights complaint laid against it.

In 2007, the Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society launched a complaint against Ottawa for underfunding child and family welfare agencies.

The two groups say Ottawa is discriminating against on-reserve kids through an inadequate funding formula.

The case was being heard at the tribunal level, but several hearing dates have suddenly been cancelled.

Society director Cindy Blackstock says the Conservatives have appointed a new chairperson over the case who is looking at dismissing it altogether.

Blackstock says her group wants this case “not decided on a legal technicality — we want it decided on its merits, on the facts — because we think it’s so important to know if the Government of Canada is racially disciminating against abused and neglected kids. That’s something they shouldn’t get out of on a legal technicality. If they have nothing to hide, they should allow the facts to speak for themselves and allow Canadians to hear the facts.”

The hearing for dismissal will be heard in April.