Paul Martin's Hypocrisy - The Truth About the 2005 Kelowna Accord

7/30/2019 Paul Martin's Hypocrisy - The Truth About the 2005 Kelowna Accord

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Presented byRussell Diabo

First Nations Policy Consultant

REVIEW OF CANADA-

ABORIGINAL PROCESSTRANSITION & CHANGE2004 2006(DRAFT 1)


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1st

Canada-Aboriginal RoundtableHeld April 19, 2004, in Ottawa


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Outcomes of Roundtable

Report of Roundtable discussions to be theblueprint for plan of action. Follow-up Meeting between Cabinet Committee

on Aboriginal Affairs & National Aboriginal

Leaders. Establish Policy Roundtables with participation of

Aboriginal Reps, Provinces/Territories, PrivateSector.

Develop Annual Aboriginal Report Card toParliament.


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Canada-Aboriginal Process

A federal process is established based on theassimilationist term Aboriginal-Canadians andis led by the federal government.

First Nations rights & interests are beingwatered down under a common approach withthe Inuit, Mtis & Urban Aboriginals.

The process is managed by an oversight

committee & planning committee, bothcommittees have federal and Aboriginal reps onthem.


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5 National Aboriginal Organizationsto Represent all Aboriginal Peoples

Assembly of First Nations (AFN). Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).

Mtis National Council (MNC). Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP).

Native Womens Association of Canada

(NWAC).


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Six Canada-Aboriginal PolicyRoundtables Established

Health. Life-Long Learning (Education).

Housing.

Economic Development.

Negotiations (Self-Govt, Land-Claims,

Historic Treaties).Accountability/Aboriginal Report Card

(Performance Measures/Indicators).


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Canada-Aboriginal Process

Timeframe First Canada-Aboriginal Roundtable April 2004.

Policy Topic Meetings November 2004 toJanuary 2005.

December 2004 AFN Special Chiefs Assembly to

ratify and give mandates to AFN National Chiefand others.

February 2005 Special Assembly on AFNrecognition and implementation of First

Nations Governance process. Joint Policy Retreat between Cabinet Committee

on Aboriginal Affairs (CCAA) & National

Aboriginal Leaders. Held May 31, 2005.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessCommittees

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE A committee withreps from the AFN, ITK, MNC, PMO, PCO, INAC.This committee is to oversee Prime Ministerscommitments from April Roundtable.

PLANNING COMMITTEE Each policy topic willhave a planning committee. PlanningCommittees will include reps from NAOs of First

Nations, Inuit, Mtis, urban & womens groups,PCO, INAC, Health Canada, Industry Canada,Treasury Board, CMHC & other participants.


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Canada-Aboriginal Schedule ofRoundtable Sessions

Health Nov. 4, 5, 2004, Ottawa. Lifelong Learning (ECD/K-12) Nov. 13, 14,

2004, Winnipeg. (PSE & Skills Development)Nov. 18, 19, 2004, Ottawa.

Housing Nov. 24, 25, 2004, Ottawa.

Economic Opportunities Dec. 14, 15, 2004,Ottawa.

Negotiations Jan. 12, 13, 2005, Alberta.

Accountability Jan. 25, 26, 2005, Ottawa.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessSigning of Political Accords


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Canada-Aboriginal Political Accords

During a joint session (May 31, 2005) ofthe federal Cabinet Committee onAboriginal Affairs with National Aboriginal

Leaders, political accords were signed withAFN, MNC, ITK, CAP & NWAC.

These political accords established

separate processes from the sixRoundtables for discussing tougherpolitical legal issues.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessAFNs Approach 1

Breakout Sessions Each policy topic meetingwill have First Nations, Inuit and Mtis breakoutsessions within the larger discussion.

AFN Participation is based on: The overall goal of First Nation government Recognition of First Nations jurisdiction Addressing the need for sustainable First Nation

governments, services and institutions Improve integration and coordination to address gaps

and promote access to services Address critical needs such as program backlogs &

gaps.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessAFNs Approach 2

AFN is working with Regional Vice-Chiefsand AFN National Committees to confirm

AFNs core reps to these sessions. AFN

also has the opportunity to nominateother participants.

AFN and the federal government arefiltering First Nations (and Aboriginal)participation into the process.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessAFNs Approach & Invitation 3

Nominate - people you consider experts on anyof the six subjects to take part in the policysessions.

Look at - AFN Position Papers & sendcomments.

Attend - AFN Special Assembly in December2004, to discuss the results of the first 3 policy

sessions. The AFN Assembly will set next steps& direction for joint policy retreat in February2005. [Refers to May 31, 2005 Meeting]


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessFirst Ministers Meeting - Kelowna


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessBackground to Kelowna Meeting

At the last federal-provincial conference on"Indian Welfare" in 1964, the Pearson LiberalGovernment rewrote history by claiming that theprovinces have always been responsible to fund

Indian programs and service on and offreserves. The provinces rejected this attempt tooffload costs that are 100% federal

jurisdiction. First Nations mobilized and formedthe National Indian Brotherhood to fight thisthreat to treaty and fiduciary rights.


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What followed was four decades of offloadinguntil the federal government had withdrawnfrom most off-reserve funding. Canada nowfunds only a subsistence level of on-reserve

services. Former INAC Minister and PrimeMinister, Jean Chretien, wrote that this is "onhumanitarian grounds" because the

provinces won't pay. The offloading occurred inwaves, and the fiscal shocks on the provincesand on First Nations were tremendous.


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The Martin Liberals claim they areAboriginal friendly. Then why do they hireReform Party Aboriginal advisor Tom

Flanagan as legal expert witness todispute claims that Ottawa has anobligation to fund services? Why have

they spent over $50 millionin theSamson Cree case (in Alberta) alone,denying the existence of any obligation?


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This conference and its 10 year plan areabout putting a ceiling on the federal fiscalobligation at a level far below what is

needed to equalize health and socio-economic conditions. Signing theagreement will commit First Nations to 10

years of making do with funding that hasbeen withheld since the Liberals tookpower.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessThe Kelowna Meeting

The First Ministers Meeting on AboriginalIssues, held Nov. 24, 25, 2005, inKelowna, B.C. was orchestrated by the

Paul Martin government with the supportof Phil Fontaine (Assembly of FirstNations) and the other National Aboriginal

Organizations, for at least three maingoals:


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessKelownas Political Goals

Cooperate with capping and off-loading federalconstitutional & fiscal responsibility for Indians andlands reserved for the Indians onto the provincial,territorial and municipal governments.

Try to convince the Canadian public and national mediathat more money in Health, Housing, Education andEconomic Development will fix the problem of FirstNations poverty.

Try to sideline and ignore the issues of Aboriginal andTreaty rights, First Nations ownership of lands andnatural resources in Aboriginal title/Treaty territories.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessKelowna Avoids Causes of Poverty

The FMM in Kelowna deliberately dealt with thesymptoms not the causes of First Nations poverty,because there is a lack of political will by thefederal and provincial governments:

To respect and recognize Aboriginal and Treatyrights.

Recognize the right of First Nations to self-determination.

To re-distribute lands and resources illegallytaken by Crown governments, or providecompensation for taking the lands and resources.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessKelowna was About Deal-Making

The FMM is another public federal-provincial negotiation session about theescalating costs of delivering programs

and services to First Nations (and otherAboriginal peoples), and which level ofgovernment will pay.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessKelowna was About Deal-Making

The federal government is now using the termAboriginal-Canadians to lump First Nationsin with the Inuit, Mtis and urban Aboriginals in

order to disguise the off-loading of federalconstitutional and fiscal responsibilities forIndians and lands reserved for theIndians onto the other levels of government.

The provinces, particularly B.C., Saskatchewanand Manitoba, are considering the take over ofFirst Nations if Canada pays them enough intransfer payments.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessAFN - No Mandate From the People

The federal government has co-opted theAssembly of First Nations and the fourother National Aboriginal Organizations by

giving them large budgets and a seat atthe table as Aboriginal and Treaty rightsare traded off for the modern day

equivalent of trinkets and beads.


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Canada-Aboriginal ProcessAFN-No Mandate From the People

The grassroots people from First Nationscommunities have not been involved inthis top down, undemocratic process, andare only now learning of the

consequences. Grassroots actions in opposing the FMM

are just the start of a larger politicalmovement of reform taking place withinour First Nation communities,Governments and organizations, to get outfrom under the colonial, racist Indian Actsystem.


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TRANSITION:Liberals to Conservatives


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Harpers Aboriginal Platform

A Conservative government will: Accept the targets agreed upon at the recent

Meeting of First Ministers and National AboriginalLeaders, and work with first ministers andnational aboriginal leaders on achieving these

targets. Support the development of individual property

ownership on reserves, to encourage lending forprivate housing and businesses.

Let aboriginal parents choose the schooling theywant for their children, with funding following thestudents.


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Replace the Indian Act (and relatedlegislation) with a modern legislativeframework which provides for the

devolution of full legal anddemocratic responsibility toaboriginal Canadians for their own

affairs within the Constitution,including the Charter of Rights andFreedoms.


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Pursue settlement of all outstandingcomprehensive claims within a clear frameworkthat balances the rights of aboriginal claimantswith those of Canada.

Adopt measures to resolve the existing backlog of

specific claims so as to provide justice foraboriginal claimants, together with certainty forgovernment, industry, and non-aboriginalCanadians.

Implement all of the recommendations of theHouse of Commons Standing Committee onAboriginal Affairs and Northern Developmentcontained in its fourth report on Resolving IndianResidential School Claims, to expedite the

settlement of claims and save money.


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Recognize the contributions of Aboriginalveterans, and redress 60 years of inequityby implementing the resolution of theHouse of Commons to acknowledge the

historic inequality of treatment andcompensation for First Nations, Mtis, andInuit war veterans, and take actionimmediately to give real compensation tothese veterans in a way that truly respectstheir service and sacrifice.


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Harpers Unilateral Plan:An Attack on First Nations

The Conservative plan is likely to speed upthe Liberals 1969 White Paper plan to:

Eliminate the legislative and constitutionalrecognition of Indian status.

Abolish Indian Reserves & ImposeTaxation. Dismantling of Treaties. Off-load federal Indian programs &

services onto provinces, municipalities andFirst Nation communities.

Entrench economic underdevelopment.


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Since the federal election of January 2006, theHarper government has:

Unilaterally issued a Water Policy & Standards

for Reserves; Issued a Throne Speech that barely mentioned

Aboriginal peoples;

Issued a federal budget with little new moneyon First Nations (or Aboriginal) programs.


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CONCLUSION: It is likely theConservatives will continue along the linesof the Liberals in mixing First Nations

issues in with other Aboriginal groups,including urban Aboriginals.

Another line of attack will be continuingwith separating rights from programs,

just as the Liberals have done.

Documents

Paul Martin's Hypocrisy - The Truth About the 2005 Kelowna Accord