On top of deciding to back away from the 5.2 billion health care and housing agreement completed in Kelowna, it doesn't seem Harper or any of his Conservative cronies are interested in Native people or their rights. I can just see Ipperwash starting all over again, on the federal level, here's a link to another issue concerning Conservatives;
FREDERICTON (CP) - An aboriginal group in Atlantic Canada is disappointed that not one Conservative candidate in the region responded to its pre-election survey on First Nation issues.
John Paul, executive director of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs, said Tuesday a questionnaire was sent to all Liberal, Conservative and NDP candidates in the region just after Christmas in order to gather political information for Atlantic reserves.
Paul said the organization e-mailed and faxed its short, four-question survey to all 32 Atlantic ridings. It received 25 responses from NDP candidates, 20 from Liberals, and none from Conservatives.
The deadline for responses was Monday.
"I'm pretty disappointed about it," Paul said of the failure of Conservative candidates to respond.
"I have no explanation as to why they didn't get back to us. We did contact their headquarters in Ottawa and regionally. We were trying to get the surveys wrapped up early this week to have time to issue the results to all of our communities and friends."
Questions on the survey relate to existing commitments to improve housing, health care, education and economic opportunities on reserves, including the federal Liberal government's pledge of more than $5 billion over the next five years to improve living conditions for First Nations people.
The congress of chiefs wanted to know whether the Atlantic candidates support those federal commitments.
"One of the biggest things needed is to improve the level of understanding and communication between our communities and the MPs themselves so they clearly understand the issues from our perspective," Paul said.
Officials with Conservative campaigns in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia said they don't recall receiving the questionnaires.
"We've never received anything by fax or mail," said Fred Schriver, office manager for Conservative candidate Mike Allen in the New Brunswick riding of Tobique-Mactaquac.
"I'm absolutely positive."
Officials in Peter MacKay's riding of Central Nova said they, as well, don't recall the Atlantic Policy Congress questionnaire.
A Conservative official in Ottawa said the questionnaire may have fallen through the cracks due to hectic schedules in campaign offices.
Jonas Langille, the Conservative party's political operations office for the Atlantic region, said he didn't recall seeing the questionnaire, although he had been contacted by a congress representative about it.
"It must be time issue," Langille said. "Most of our candidates receive hundreds of questionnaires like this. Unfortunately, some fall through the cracks because of all the time constraints to research and answer them individually."
Some aboriginal groups are concerned about Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's refusal to endorse the Liberal government's commitment to invest $5 billion over five years in native housing and health care.
Harper has said he accepts the objectives of the deal, but said further negotiations will be needed to work out the details for allocating money.
Paul said the Atlantic Policy Congress is non-partisan and just wanted information to assist First Nations voters in making their decisions. Roughly 20,000 aboriginal people in Atlantic Canada are eligible to vote in Monday's election.
"The prime minister of Canada, whoever he will be, has a great responsibility to all citizens of Canada, including all aboriginal people," Paul said.
"He will have to pay attention to all the people of Canada."
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n011747A.xml
I hope the Native people of Canada don't vote for the Cons.
FREDERICTON (CP) - An aboriginal group in Atlantic Canada is disappointed that not one Conservative candidate in the region responded to its pre-election survey on First Nation issues.
John Paul, executive director of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs, said Tuesday a questionnaire was sent to all Liberal, Conservative and NDP candidates in the region just after Christmas in order to gather political information for Atlantic reserves.
Paul said the organization e-mailed and faxed its short, four-question survey to all 32 Atlantic ridings. It received 25 responses from NDP candidates, 20 from Liberals, and none from Conservatives.
The deadline for responses was Monday.
"I'm pretty disappointed about it," Paul said of the failure of Conservative candidates to respond.
"I have no explanation as to why they didn't get back to us. We did contact their headquarters in Ottawa and regionally. We were trying to get the surveys wrapped up early this week to have time to issue the results to all of our communities and friends."
Questions on the survey relate to existing commitments to improve housing, health care, education and economic opportunities on reserves, including the federal Liberal government's pledge of more than $5 billion over the next five years to improve living conditions for First Nations people.
The congress of chiefs wanted to know whether the Atlantic candidates support those federal commitments.
"One of the biggest things needed is to improve the level of understanding and communication between our communities and the MPs themselves so they clearly understand the issues from our perspective," Paul said.
Officials with Conservative campaigns in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia said they don't recall receiving the questionnaires.
"We've never received anything by fax or mail," said Fred Schriver, office manager for Conservative candidate Mike Allen in the New Brunswick riding of Tobique-Mactaquac.
"I'm absolutely positive."
Officials in Peter MacKay's riding of Central Nova said they, as well, don't recall the Atlantic Policy Congress questionnaire.
A Conservative official in Ottawa said the questionnaire may have fallen through the cracks due to hectic schedules in campaign offices.
Jonas Langille, the Conservative party's political operations office for the Atlantic region, said he didn't recall seeing the questionnaire, although he had been contacted by a congress representative about it.
"It must be time issue," Langille said. "Most of our candidates receive hundreds of questionnaires like this. Unfortunately, some fall through the cracks because of all the time constraints to research and answer them individually."
Some aboriginal groups are concerned about Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's refusal to endorse the Liberal government's commitment to invest $5 billion over five years in native housing and health care.
Harper has said he accepts the objectives of the deal, but said further negotiations will be needed to work out the details for allocating money.
Paul said the Atlantic Policy Congress is non-partisan and just wanted information to assist First Nations voters in making their decisions. Roughly 20,000 aboriginal people in Atlantic Canada are eligible to vote in Monday's election.
"The prime minister of Canada, whoever he will be, has a great responsibility to all citizens of Canada, including all aboriginal people," Paul said.
"He will have to pay attention to all the people of Canada."
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n011747A.xml
I hope the Native people of Canada don't vote for the Cons.
