Three First Nation leaders heading to Ottawa after May 2 - 2 NDP and 1 Conservative MP
Press release
THE AFNQL WELCOMES THE ELECTION OF THREE MEMBERS OF THE FIRST NATIONS
WENDAKE, QC, May 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The May 2nd federal election could be remembered as historical in several respects. The Assembly of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) is especially pleased with the election of three members of the First Nations: Roméo Saganash (Cree Nation), and Jonathan Genest-Jourdain (Innu Nation) in Quebec, as well as Peter Penashue (Innu Nation), in Labrador.
Chief Picard hopes that the election of these three First Nation members will bring to light the interests and the stakes of Aboriginal peoples before a government, which, all too often, turns a blind eye or tries to downplay our issues.
"The AFNQL is willing to work with all those political parties which accept to support First Nations issues. I congratulate those three new members of the House of Commons and offer them my collaboration." stated AFNQL Chief Picard.
About the AFNQL
The AFNQL is the regional organization regrouping the 43 Chiefs of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador. For information: www.apnql-afnql.com.
For further information:
Éric Cardinal
Communications adviser
Cellular: 514 258-2315
eric@cardinalcommunication.com
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National chief encouraged by election of large contingent of aboriginal MPs
OTTAWA — The next Parliament will include one of its largest-ever rosters of aboriginal MPs, giving hope to First Nations that their campaign for better education programs will gain momentum.
Shawn Atleo, chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says 30 aboriginal candidates ran for office, and seven were actually elected in Monday's national vote.
"There was a high level of engagement overall in the election," Atleo said in an interview.
The new faces include Innu leader Peter Penashue, who will represent the Conservatives in Labrador, and Cree leader Romeo Saganash, who won the NDP a seat in the Abitibi region of northern Quebec. Voters also elected an Innu lawyer running for the NDP in the Manicouagan riding in Quebec.
Atleo says he wants Stephen Harper's majority government to pursue an independent panel's investigation into how to improve aboriginal education in elementary and secondary schools.
That process was begun in the previous Parliament, but it would likely require significant federal investment at some point.
The panel was supposed to report back to the AFN and the government by this summer, and Atleo says he sees no reason for that timetable to change.
"Our shared expectation was that this was not to be a long exercise; there's been 30 years of reports and studies," he said.
"Everyone knows the system is broken and needs to be fixed and properly resourced."
For now, fewer than half of First Nations students graduate from high school, Atleo said.
"Right now, if we don't fix education, we're looking at a whole generation before we could see any closing of the success gap in graduation rates. It's just too long."
Atleo also expects Harper to make good on a previous commitment to hold a "First Nations-Crown gathering" soon.
Harper wrote the AFN last winter and promised to hold the unprecedented summit soon, but arrangements were delayed by the election.
Atleo wants to put that meeting back on track, so that the Conservatives and First Nations can agree to a work plan going forward.
First Nations issues were not front and centre during the election campaign, despite the AFN's campaign to engage First Nations and educate politicians and the electorate about aboriginal concerns.
Atleo said he heard encouraging words from the NDP and the Green party on election night. But he did not comment on the lack of attention from Harper.
"What we do know is that we had an agenda going into the election focused on education, on building economic partnerships," he said, "and another priority was the vulnerability of our people every day."
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7 aboriginal MPs elected
OTTAWA—The next Parliament will include one of its largest-ever rosters of aboriginal MPs, giving hope to First Nations that their campaign for better education programs will gain momentum.
Shawn Atleo, chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said seven aboriginal MPs were elected in Monday’s national vote.
They include three new MPs, Innu leader Peter Penashue, who will represent the Conservatives in Labrador riding, Cree leader Romeo Saganash, the NDP winner in Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, in northern Quebec, and Jonathan Genest-Jourdain, an Innu New Democrat in the Quebec riding of Manicouagan, south and west of Labrador.
Re-elected aboriginal MPs include four Conservatives, Leona Aglukkaq, an Inuit in Nunavut; Rob Clarke, a Cree in the Saskatchewan riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River; Shelly Glover, a Métis in the Manitoba riding of Saint Boniface, and Rod Bruinooge, a Métis in Winnipeg South.
Atleo said he wants Stephen Harper’s majority government to pursue a joint panel investigation into how to improve aboriginal education in elementary and secondary schools.
That process was begun in the previous Parliament, but will likely require significant federal investment at some point, he said.
Atleo said he also expects Harper to hold a summit meeting between First Nations and the Crown soon. Harper had promised to hold the unprecedented meeting this spring, but plans were derailed by the election.