Kathleen Wynne calls federal response to TRC study 'disappointing'
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling the federal government's response to recommendations from a six-year study of Canada's residential schools legacy "disappointing."
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 recommendations Tuesday along with a summary of its conclusions, including its description of a "cultural genocide" and the estimated deaths of more than 6,000 children.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not address a ceremony that was held on Wednesday to formally close the commission's work, but he has suggested in the House of Commons that his government has already moved on addressing aboriginal concerns in the seven years since he issued an historic apology from the government of Canada.
'No possible excuse' to ignore past abuses
Wynne began her speech to the Ontario Liberal annual general meeting on Saturday by acknowledging the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying her party must work to build a better relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
"There never really was, but there is now no possible excuse for any government to ignore the abuses of our past relationship," she said.
"We cannot with any integrity talk of a healthy, harmonious, pluralistic society until we reconcile these wrongs by forging a new relationship with the people whose ancestors were here long before most of ours."
The premier has criticized Harper in the past for not calling a national inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and pressed him on the issue of clean drinking water when the two met in January.
The federal response to the commission's recommendations is "disappointing," Wynne said.
"I don't think there's any excuse for it," she said after her speech at the Liberal meeting, where delegates voted 95 per cent in favour of Wynne staying on as leader.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/tor...response-to-trc-study-disappointing-1.3103491
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling the federal government's response to recommendations from a six-year study of Canada's residential schools legacy "disappointing."
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 recommendations Tuesday along with a summary of its conclusions, including its description of a "cultural genocide" and the estimated deaths of more than 6,000 children.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper did not address a ceremony that was held on Wednesday to formally close the commission's work, but he has suggested in the House of Commons that his government has already moved on addressing aboriginal concerns in the seven years since he issued an historic apology from the government of Canada.
'No possible excuse' to ignore past abuses
Wynne began her speech to the Ontario Liberal annual general meeting on Saturday by acknowledging the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying her party must work to build a better relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.
"There never really was, but there is now no possible excuse for any government to ignore the abuses of our past relationship," she said.
"We cannot with any integrity talk of a healthy, harmonious, pluralistic society until we reconcile these wrongs by forging a new relationship with the people whose ancestors were here long before most of ours."
The premier has criticized Harper in the past for not calling a national inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women and pressed him on the issue of clean drinking water when the two met in January.
The federal response to the commission's recommendations is "disappointing," Wynne said.
"I don't think there's any excuse for it," she said after her speech at the Liberal meeting, where delegates voted 95 per cent in favour of Wynne staying on as leader.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/tor...response-to-trc-study-disappointing-1.3103491
