The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says its goal to “close the gap” this election was about attitudes, not money.
Chief Perry Bellegarde was referring to the billions of dollars it will cost to address the huge economic disparity facing Canada’s First Nations people, but he says his first impression of the new Liberal government is that it has the will to deal with the problem.
Closing the gap was the AFN’s push throughout the campaign. Bellegarde says it resonated with all Canadians and he believes it helped push the Liberals to a majority win. He sees Justin Trudeau as approachable and committed to real change – something he did not get from the Harper government.
“Because the historical relationship with the former government was unnecessarily adversarial, it’s a sigh of relief that we can actually move forward now and get some things done,” he said.
Bellegarde has already had one conversation with the Prime Minister designate, Justin Trudeau, and plans are in the works for a more formal detailed discussion about the billions of dollars in promises made by Liberals on the campaign trail.
“There has to be huge investments to get indigenous people to the starting line,” he says. “That should be viewed in a positive light, as investments, because the cost to maintain the status quo is just not acceptable and that is what people should get their heads around.”
Bellegarde says he is patient, but he is also expecting to see quick action on a couple of the commitments: including an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women; the lifting of the two per cent funding cap on aboriginal programs; and more funding for First Nations education.
Bellegarde says he is comfortable enough with Trudeau that he could pick up the phone and call him.
“Yes, it’s all about access. You know, if there are issues or concerns we should be able to sit down and talk and work things through. You are not always going to agree on everything but at least you have access and it is all about respectful communication,” he said.
On the other hand, Bellegarde says he had only one meeting with Steven Harper over the past 10 months. The AFN national chief says he is looking forward to an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation with the new federal government, rather than the confrontation that marked the relationship with the Harper Conservatives.