This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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A statement issued by Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Bernard Valcourt, said that he doesn’t believe “unanimity” will ever be achieved on the government’s proposed First Nation education bill. Hence, he advised opposition MPs to follow the “lead” of Assembly of First Nations National Chief, Shawn Atleo, and think of the “children” rather than doing politics on the issue.
The First Nation Control of First Nation Education Act, Bill C-33, is scheduled to be debated for the first time on second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday. Thereafter, the bill is supposed to go to the Aboriginal Affairs committee for study and hearings. The NDP has already made a failed attempt to have the bill referred to committee following its tabling earlier this month, hoping that it would change the scope of the proposed legislation. The bill has already received stiff resistance from First Nation leaders across the country, including Chiefs from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has also come out against the bill.
According to a letter issued by Valcourt to NDP MP Jean Crowder on April 17, he wrote that “unanimity will never be achieved on this file, however, we must take the lead of a new generation of leaders like the National Chief and put politics aside and do what is in the best interest of the children.” Furthermore, he added that “Bill C-33 will achieve so many of the goals put forward by First Nations in the 1971 paper released by the precursor to the AFN. We cannot let this opportunity pass.”
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