Tories ignoring Native issues

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Federal Tory candidates are not addressing Native issues in their pursuit of their party's leadership, the head of the Assembly of First Nations said.

In a press conference in Ottawa May 18, Ovide Mercredi said none of the Progressive Conservative party leadership candidates are advocating Natives interests as part of the next government.

"Maybe they think there's no votes in allocating Indian rights," he said. "We want to know if they would voluntarily raise the issue of Aboriginal rights and Aboriginal issue without being prompted by the Assembly of First Nations. They've addressed that in at lest one of their televised debates, but not adequately."

The leadership candidates ought to hold a "more focused discussion" on their future plans for Native issues, he said.

"It is one of the biggest issues confronting Canada and it's not going to go away. And it's just as important as resolving the deficit or the debt of Canada."

Merdredi also said he hoped to see a leadership forum where Natives could talk to the candidates exclusively on Aboriginal issues.

But three of the party's five leadership candidates said they have already addressed the issues. In a written response to Windspeaker, Justice Minister Kim Campbell said she has discussed Native issues in the leadership campaign on several occasions.

"In fact," she wrote, "I spoke at some length on Native issues during my March 25th speech in Vancouver, during the Bill Good Show on May 6th, and again on May 13th during the Policy Forum in Vancouver."

Natives have not been well served by national policies, she said. Her approach to reform would be based on recognizing diversity, ending dependency and negotiating with respect.

While Campbell is "more sympathetic than others" in respect to land claim settlements, her past positions on Native issues have not reflected those of the assembly's, Mercredi said.

"That doesn't say she's more sympathetic to Aboriginal rights than Mr. Charest."

So far, the assembly has only heard one comment about Native issues from the Environment Minister, Mercredi said.

"If I heard what Mr. Charest said, he's not looking forward to constitutional discussions. Mr. Charest's not giving my people any hope by suggesting there won't be an early return to the constitutional table."

But a Charest campaign spokesman said the Environment Minister and leadership hopeful has addressed Native issues.

"They have a place in the campaign," said Robert Charest. "It's not on the front burner because the economy is the top topic. But it's something that concerns him (Jean).

Etobicoke-Lakeshore MP and candidate Patrick Boyer said Native issues have not, however, been adequately addressed during leadership debates. Aboriginal issues were discussed only once by all the candidates during the Vancouver debate. And even then, the issue was about how land claim payments would affect the budget.

Further discussion is unlikely, said Charest. Native issues will be discussed by leadership candidates and party delegates only when they relate directly to the state of a local economy.

The two other candidates, Halton-Peel MP Garth Turner and Edmonton Southwest MP Jim Edwards, could not be reached for comment.

The treatment of Natives themselves during the leadership race has, however, already become an issue. During an April 30 meeting at the Roundup Centre in Calgary, a Native woman and party member said she was denied entry and assaulted by a man acting as a security guide.

Vicky Crowchild-Aberdeen said the man threw her up against a wall after receiving orders to bar Indians from the meeting. Conservative Party national president, Gerry St. MGermaine, said he has apologized to Crowchild-Aberdeen for the incident. Meeting organizers apparently thought Crowchild-Aberdeen was a member of a group of protesters outside the hall.