Trudeau campaigning for First Nations votes
- Tiffany Head | August 14, 2015
Excitement filled the air as hundreds of people gathered earlier this week at the Regina Farmers Market to meet Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau.
He started his speech declaring that people wanted change and that he was the best possible candidate for that change.
“I hear the same thing everywhere I go! It’s time for a change in Canada, a real change. Yes, people are tired of this cynical old government that spends most of its time thinking of itself and none of it thinking about Canadians,” said Trudeau.
He continued on to point out the fauls of the Conservative party and the NDP party, as they have been doing to him on their campaign trails as the battle for votes continue.
But what does Mr. Trudeau have to offer Indigenous people? He has made promises and Trudeau takes his cue from our AFN Chief Perry Bellegarde with almost the same words uttered from his lips.
“There is no question; we need to build a new relationship a new partnership with First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples across this country. It’s not just 10 years of Stephen Harper that has failed Indigenous people. It's generations and even centuries of missed opportunities and broken relationships,” said Trudeau.
Trudeau says he is focused on building a relationship that is nation to nation.
“It’s about working with First Nations, so were actually building solutions that come from that, we need to talk about our environment and our economy and how we draw on our natural resources, needs to include partnerships with First Nations People,” said Trudeau.
As for Bill C-51, he claims he wants to repeal and make changes to the bill so it will both protect the security of Canadians and protect rights and freedoms of the people, the total opposite of the NDP who want to abolish the bill, and the Conservative party who made and want the bill to be passed.
Della Anaquod is a member of the Muscowpetung Saulteaux First Nation who comes with a list of very admirable credentials. She is running for office in the Liberal Party in the Regina – Qu’Appelle area.
“The real issues for us are all the same, you know in terms of housing, education, drinkable water, nothing’s changed. Nothing has changed; in fact it has gotten worse in the past decade,” said Anaquod.
She says with the caps, holds and cuts the government has placed on First Nations program and funding and the allocation getting much smaller as First Nations populations grow, there needs to be a change.
Trudeau and his team of candidates make promises to the Indigenous people for their votes, but will his promises hold true in the end if he happens to be elected as the new prime minister?
Related stories:
- Liberal leader focuses on First Nations education at Saskatoon campaign stop
- AFN National Chief calls Liberal education announcement "positive start"