AFN Chief Accuses Liberals Of Holding Back

AFN Chief Accuses Liberals Of Holding Back

Thursday, February 24, 2005 at 13:06

The national chief says the federal budget lacks real investment and a real effort to fix a broken system that’s holding all Aboriginal people back.

Phil Fontaine feels the budget shows the resources are available for progressive action on what the prime minister has called the “shameful conditions” facing First Nations citizens.

However, Fontaine says the government seems to be waiting for the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable process to conclude before taking any real action to address Native issues.

Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott says he understands Fontaine’s frustration, but believes the First Ministers meeting on Aboriginal issues this fall and a policy meeting this spring will address the concerns Fontaine is raising.

Even though the government has committed $295 million to on-reserve housing over the next five years, Fontaine notes that the figure is well short of the $5.1 billion the AFN proposed in its pre-budget submission.

Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River Member of Parliament Jeremy Harrison says he, too, was “very disappointed” with the money set aside for on-reserve housing, and hoped it was going to be “more substantial”.