Poilievre slams Ottawa’s ‘paternalistic’ system at AFN general assembly

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre decried what he called nan national government’s “paternalistic” guidance of First Nations group while vowing economical opportunity arsenic a way to reconciliation.

In his first-ever in-person reside to nan Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly successful Montreal connected Thursday, Poilievre touched connected a scope of topics including nan c price, housing, forbidden narcotics and crime, but was besides confronted for leaving retired different cardinal issues successful his speech.

“For excessively long, you’ve been held backmost by a surgery strategy that takes powerfulness distant from you and places it successful nan hands of politicians and bureaucrats successful Ottawa,” Poilievre said.

“That’s why I’m committed to ending nan Ottawa-knows-best paternalistic system.”

“This thought that … nan Ottawa bureaucracy and politicians tin negociate First Nations group is not only paternalistic and insulting, but it’s proven wrong.”

The Tory leader referred to nan 1867 Indian Act, nether which astir First Nations are governed — unless they person negotiated self-government.

If elected arsenic premier minister, Poilievre said his extremity would beryllium to trim nan reddish portion and simplify nan backing for First Nations.

He besides pledged economical maturation — a cardinal run committedness of his — saying that “if reconciliation intends anything, it intends saying yes to economical opportunities that First Nations are asking for.”

“Your children tin beryllium nan richest successful nan world if we unleash these opportunities and that’s why we will beryllium laser-focused connected economical maturation and opportunity for First Nations,” Poilievre said.

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He besides condemned nan “terrible crimes” committed astatine residential schools.

“It was a monstrous maltreatment of excessive governmental powerfulness that trim your children disconnected from their cultures, languages, and traditions.”

During a question-and-answer convention aft his remarks, Poilievre was confronted by immoderate chiefs astir his priorities connected Indigenous issues and nan actions of Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.

Chief Judy Wilson of Surrey, B.C., called retired Poilievre for not mentioning nan United Nations Declaration connected nan Rights of Indigenous People, nan rumor of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls aliases thing astir ambiance alteration successful his speech.

“If you’re moving to beryllium nan adjacent premier curate successful Canada, it tells maine you person a batch of acquisition to do connected those fronts,” she said.

Poilievre said nan Conservatives will activity to redress “past injustices and discrimination” successful nan child-welfare strategy and resoluteness “other outstanding issues.”

“We judge that economical reconciliation is portion of societal progress,” he said.

— pinch files from The Canadian Press