NDP motion commits government to ending discrimination against First Nations children

NDP Indigenous Affairs Critic Charlie Angus (Timmins – James Bay) made the following statement following the adoption of his motion on ending discrimination against First Nations children.

“I would like to thank individual Canadians and organizations across the country for their overwhelming support for today’s vote to put First Nations kids first. The hopeful message we received is that this isn’t about political interests, but about a country immediately doing everything in its power to end the systemic discrimination of First Nations kids at risk.

Canadians understand that in 2016 it shouldn’t take a court order to end the racial discrimination of children in our country and it shouldn’t take a vote in Parliament to force this government to follow it.

While I am pleased to see the government support this motion, I cannot overstate the importance of this government honouring their commitment today. In light of the Prime Minister’s statement that this government’s most important relationship is to Indigenous peoples and that he is committed to a new nation-to-nation relationship, nothing less is acceptable.

Canada will never be the country it was meant to be as long as racial discrimination continues against the most vulnerable kids. New Democrats will continue to stand side-by-side with Canadians to fight to right this historic wrong. We cannot fail another generation of First Nations children.”