AFN hopes platform assessment informs First Nations voters
- EFN Staff | October 15, 2015
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Perry Bellegarde today released the AFN’s assessment of federal party platforms as they relate to First Nation priorities, urging First Nation citizens to make an informed decision October 19.
“We want to ensure First Nations across Canada get all the facts before voting, to ensure they have the proper information to make an informed decision,” said AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde. “The Indigenous vote has the potential to influence 51 ridings and in this election every vote counts. It’s up to every single one of us to make an informed decision at the ballot box.”
Read the AFN's assessment here.
The AFN presented Closing the Gap: 2015 Federal Election Priorities for First Nations and Canada in early September. The document sets out specific action items across six broad themes: Strengthening First Nations, Families and Communities; Sharing and Equitable Funding; Upholding Rights; Respecting the Environment; Revitalizing Indigenous Languages; and Truth and Reconciliation. Each federal party was asked for a formal response to the priorities and to date the AFN has received responses from the Liberals, New Democrats and Greens.
“I will work with whoever is elected October 19 to close the gap in quality of life between First Nations people and Canadians. It’s up to First Nations and all Canadians to decide who that will be,” said National Chief Bellegarde. “More and more people are realizing that our people matter, our priorities matter and our votes matter. The human and economic costs to maintaining the gap that exists between our peoples and the rest of Canada are harmful to all of us. First Nation priorities must be Canada’s priorities because when First Nations succeed we all succeed. We can and must work together to close the gap.”
Last week the AFN convened an open forum which gathered hundreds of First Nation leaders and citizens to discuss priorities, inform voters and mobilize the vote. New Democratic Party Leader Tom Mulcair and representatives from the Liberal Party of Canada and the Green Party addressed participants. In July NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May addressed Chiefs and delegates at AFN’s Annual General Assembly in Montreal.