A legal review cautions that upcoming elections could jeopardize a crucial $47.8 billion child welfare reform deal for First Nations.
Ottawa: So, there’s this big warning from a legal review that says the $47.8 billion deal to fix the First Nations child welfare system might be in trouble if the government changes next year.
The report, done by Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, points out that a new government might not be as keen to negotiate or stick to the promises made by the current Liberals.
Interestingly, the Conservatives are leading in the polls but haven’t said much about whether they’d be open to talks with First Nations. It’s a bit of a wait-and-see situation.
This deal, which was made back in July, aims to tackle years of underfunding that led to many First Nations kids being taken from their families and put into foster care.
There’s also a ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal pushing for changes and compensation for those affected.
However, in October, First Nations chiefs turned down the deal, feeling it didn’t do enough to protect their kids or stop the discrimination.
This whole situation is pretty tense, and it’s definitely something to keep an eye on as the elections approach.
