Vote for the party that will protect First Nation rights, says head of northern Ontario treaty group

Aya Dufour · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 6:29 AM EDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

In parts of northeastern Ontario, including areas successful oregon astir Sudbury and Timmins, First Nation voters could assistance determine predetermination outcomes, according to the Assembly of First Nations.

For Earl Commanda, enforcement manager of Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin, a radical that defends pact rights successful the area, this is each the much crushed for Indigenous radical to measurement their options cautiously arsenic they caput to the polls adjacent week.

"My proposal to Indigenous voters is ballot for the campaigner you consciousness is going to support and support that narration we person with the national government," said Commanda.

He says that, implicit the past decennary of Liberal rule, the narration betwixt the Lake Huron Anishnaabek and the national authorities was marked by a consequential ineligible conflict implicit annuities, but besides by a willingness to beryllium down unneurotic and negociate a resolution.

"We've noticed this inclination with the existent national authorities settling a batch of onshore claims and people enactment lawsuits," helium said.

During their clip successful government, the Trudeau Liberals astir tripled investments successful Indigenous communities, from implicit $11 billion in 2015 to $32 billion in 2024, according to Canada's Department of Finance. 

Commanda says determination are inactive important gaps successful infrastructure, lodging and societal services, and he's besides acrophobic that cardinal programs person been disrupted by recent changes successful Jordan's Principle funding, but inactive – helium wonders however a antithetic party would attack spending connected Indigenous priorities.

 "If it is simply a Conservative leadership, what volition that mean for us?" 

Conservatives transportation ideas to make economical prosperity successful First Nations

In a bid to tribunal First Nations voters, Conservative person Pierre Poilievre spoke to chiefs countrywide successful a forum organized by the Assembly of First Nations earlier this week. 

"I deliberation First Nations tin beryllium the richest radical successful the full world," helium said.

"Conservatives volition get the authorities retired of the mode truthful First Nations are nary longer denied the wealthiness and accidental that is their birthright." 

He shared antithetic ideas to make economical prosperity for Indigenous people, including fiscal incentives similar a refundable taxation recognition for companies who participate into agreements with First Nations to make resources similar mining oregon earthy gas. 

Other Conservative promises see introducing an optional First Nations Resource Charge, creating a caller Indigenous Opportunities Corporation and creating an Indigenous Outcomes Fund.

But Commanda isn't sold connected this.

"He's promising these things to sway our vote… but determination are a batch of social, health, and acquisition needs successful our communities," helium said.

Commanda also takes contented with immoderate of the different promises of the Conservative platform, similar the presumption that the Auditor General should beryllium empowered to reappraisal the spending of Indigenous governments. 

"It's rather casual for immoderate national successful Canada to look astatine however First Nations are spending their money… I don't cognize what much helium would privation from us," said Commanda.

Definition of consent for resource extraction projects to stay a key issue

With lone a fewer days near successful the predetermination campaign, candidates crossed Ontario's northeast are making their past transportation to Indigenous voters, including Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma New Democrat Laura Mayer, who is simply a subordinate of Mississauga First Nation.

"First Nation voters are precise pragmatic, they see the past of the parties and they ballot for who their candidates are," she said arsenic she knocked connected doors successful Garden River First Nation Thursday.

She thinks First Nations are moving into a caller epoch with the national government, and she doesn't privation that narration to beryllium defined by the courts, particularly erstwhile it comes to consent for assets projects. 

In her view, the Conservative level focuses excessively overmuch connected gross sharing, and not capable connected consent arsenic defined successful the UN Declaration connected the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which states Indigenous peoples person the close to springiness oregon withhold consent for projects that interaction them.

"It's like: 'Vote for maine due to the fact that you'll person assets gross tax.' It doesn't instrumentality into relationship each the different programs, services, relationships that we person with 1 another," Mayer said. 

In 2021, the Liberals passed authorities requiring national laws to beryllium harmonized with UNDRIP.

The Conservatives person historically opposed this policy, and during his address on Tuesday, Poilievre declined to endorse the instrumentality implementing UNDRIP.

He said his enactment supports the goals and aspirations of UNDRIP, but that the Liberal authorities was passed earlier the authorities could make an knowing of what exactly "free, anterior and informed consent" means successful a ineligible context.