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October 19, 2006 Speaking Notes for Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Angus Toulouse
Introduction
Let me start by offering our appreciation to the people here at the White Buffalo Youth Lodge for allowing us to launch our national campaign and advance our First Nations Plan for Creating Opportunity. This campaign is aimed at raising the awareness of all Canadians on the consequences of the Canadian’s government failure to act over the past decade, and most especially, since finalizing the First Minister Meeting Accord on Aboriginal Issues just last year.
Both anniversaries testify to the serious and shameful consequences of the Canadian Government’s failure to act.
On Monday, the federal Correctional Investigator reported to Parliament about the unacceptable high levels of Aboriginal inmates in the prison system, as well as the systemic discrimination they encounter on a daily basis.
1 in 4 First Nations children live in poverty, compared to 1 in 6 Canadian children. They have double the rates of disability, and over one third of their homes are overcrowded. Right across the street, at the Saskatoon Friendship Centre, 500 meals are served daily. Almost half of those meals are served to children. Indian Affairs indicated, at the end of 2003, that over 9,000 First Nations children on reserve were in the child welfare system, representing a 70% increase from 1995.
We must break this cycle by addressing the basic determinants of health and well-being such as employment, housing, safe drinking water and education. Over the past ten years, since the RCAP Report, First Nations governments have put forward comprehensive plans for action. Yet, the Canadian government has failed to effectively respond.
This failure to act has cost all Canadians. The burden to maintain a broken system is increasing every day. According to RCAP, the cost of doing nothing will reach $11 billion annually by 2016. Failure to act on First Nation issues is the most significant barrier to Canada’s competitiveness in the global economy.
In the past 10 years, there has been two federal responses to RCAP: the Gathering Strength initiative and the First Ministers Meeting Accord. Intended as a statement of reconciliation, Gathering Strength was, even by the Canadian Government’s own admission, limited to a narrow range of RCAP recommendations. The First Nations Action Plan proposed under Gathering Strength was never pursued after changes in political leadership. Instead, First Nations communities have seen an impoverishment of their resources, growing deficits, poorer infrastructure and lack of capacity to meet growing reporting demands. Capped budgets have prevented any new program to meet annual costs of inflation and population growth. Assuming a conservative 6% need compared to the 2% funding cap in Indian Affairs Department funding, the lost funds to communities since 1997 have been over $10 billion. Gathering Strength has filled only $2 billion of this gap, leaving a shortfall of $8 billion. The First Ministers Meeting in 2005 was the most meaningful response to RCAP. While the Conservative Government’s Election Platform committed to meeting the targets and objectives of the FMM Accord, there has been no commitment to date made to First Nations. The First Nations Plan -- which is central to the overall $5.1 billion FMM Accord -- is aimed at closing the gap in poverty between First Nations and Canadians over the next 10 years. The Accord targeted key determinants of poverty and was based on improving the relationship between First Nations and federal, provincial and territorial governments. It was, and remains, our best plan to close the gap in poverty. Yesterday, the majority of Members of Parliament successfully voted in favor on the second reading of Bill C-292, An Act to Implement the Kelowna Accord tabled by former Prime Minister, Paul Martin. This demonstrates that the Accord was not strictly with the former Liberal government, but was an agreement reached between the Government of Canada, First Nations and provinces and territories. Yet, the Conservative Government continues to defend its work to date, claiming that it is investing in more concrete, practical approaches such as the First Nations Action Plan on Water. But we must ask, where are the remedial actions for the 21 high risk communities, where is the report from the Expert Panel on Water, where are new investments to support capacity and infrastructure? Six Nations of the Grand River, the largest First Nations community in Canada and within reach of the Golden Horseshoe, remains on a boil water advisory and has been for the last five years. The Conservative Government has no concrete plan. It has claimed that there was no secured funding for honoring of the First Ministers Meeting Accord. Yet, it announced a $13 billion surplus and new investments in military spending. Our national campaign is aimed at seeking the support of all Canadians to make sure that the Government of Canada no longer ignores the consequences of failing to act on First Nations poverty. A decade of research by Harvard University has shown that the key to success is supporting First Nations governments to achieve real self-sufficiency through stable First Nations governments. Resources are necessary; but they are not enough. The First Nations Plan for Creating Opportunity is our Plan for Success. It is reasonable, achievable and necessary to ensure a productive and competitive Canada for all Canadians. The Plan has three main objectives:
The Bottom Line: First Nations must have the ability to make decisions that affect their lives and plan for their own future. We invite all Canadians to support our national campaign in honor of the RCAP Ten-Year Anniversary and the First Ministers Accord One-Year Anniversary. All Canadians must call for immediate action on the part of the Government of Canada to stop the cycle of poverty, and support First Nations governments to address this issue for the sake of our future generations. Thank you for your time today. |
