Mulcair Reluctantly Supports Harpers Deal with First Nations

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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NDP Leader Tom Mulcair recently gave a watchful endorsement to the alleged agreement between Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, for throwing his weight behind recent efforts to deal with First Nations. Mulcair mentioned during an interview on Sunday that “there is progress because they’re talking very openly now about an enhanced process and an accelerated process for treaty rights, that’s a good thing.”

Mulcair stated that there are indeed hurdles, where provinces like B.C. have few treaties, but he asserted to have understood that Harper will create a cabinet-level committee for engaging treaty implementation issues. He alleged that “even though it’s bureaucratic — it is a step in the right direction.” He pointed out that so far Conservative government had failed make First Nations concerns their “ priority.” Mulcair implied that the chiefs at Assembly of First Nation, who participated in the elite meeting on Friday, are pretty confident that Conservative government will be creating a committee soon, though there was no word uttered about it by the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, John Duncan, or the spokesperson of prime minister after the meeting. Whereas, on the other hand, Harper’s communications director Andrew MacDougall alleged that Harper has agreed to attend another meeting with AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo within few weeks “to review next steps.”

NDP Leader commented that “I think that there has been movement and if people want to take the ‘beau risque’ of saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to go with what we have now and hold them to account on what they have offered,’ then that would be a step in the right direction.”