Issues

Issue - Aboriginals
	The First Ministers' Summit on aboriginal issues wrapped up with Martin’s government committing to a 10-year plan that pledges $5.1 billion over the next five years. The money will go to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life for aboriginal Canadians. The Liberals aim to increase the number of high school graduates by a cumulative 22,000 in five years, and 110,000 in 10 years They want to increase the number of post-secondary graduates by 14,800 over the next five years, and 37,000 within 10 years More scholarships and apprenticeship programs will help reach those aims In terms of health care, the Liberals vow to double the number of aboriginal health-care professionals in 10 years; at present level, there are 150 doctors and 1,200 nurses A Liberal government will work to reduce infant mortality, suicide, childhood obesity and diabetes in aboriginal communities It will close the housing gap by 40 per cent within five years, and 80 per cent in 10 years To improve water quality, the Liberals will improve water treatment training, and speed up certification of water systems and operators Martin’s Liberals will also develop a regulatory regime for drinking water on reserves They will encourage home ownership in aboriginal communities and help build up a labour force for an increase in construction jobs The Liberals aim to increase aboriginal employment levels by 30 per cent over the next five years Before the government fell, the Liberals offered more than $2 billion in compensation for former students who suffered abuse at native residential schools A re-elected Liberal government will invest a further $100 million in support for high-speed access in rural, remote and First Nations communities

	Implement recommendations of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development in its fourth report on Resolving Indian Residential School Claims, to expedite the settlement of claims and save money Redress 60 years of Aboriginal inequity by implementing the resolution of the House of Commons to acknowledge the historic inequality of treatment Provide compensation for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit war veterans Accept the targets agreed upon at the recent Meeting of First Ministers and National Aboriginal Leaders, and work with first ministers and national aboriginal leaders on achieving these targets Support development of individual property ownership on reserves Let Aboriginal parents choose the schooling they want for their children, with funding following the students Replace the Indian Act (and related legislation) with a modern legislative framework which provides for the transfer of full legal and democratic responsibility to Aboriginal Canadians for their own affairs Pursue settlement of all outstanding “comprehensive claims” that balances the rights of aboriginal claimants with those of Canada Adopt measures to resolve the existing backlog of “specific” claims so as to provide justice for aboriginal claimants

	In the deal Layton and his team brokered with Martin’s Liberals in 2005, $1.6 billion was promised for affordable housing construction, with a dedicated fund for Aboriginal housing construction Recognize aboriginal self-governance as a fundamental component of a modern federal state Convene a First Ministers' conference to discuss the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Settle land claims and encourage partnerships between the business community and aboriginals Establish an Independent Land Claims commission to decide on specific claims Train 10,000 aboriginals in health, education and social services Make housing and infrastructure programs in aboriginal communities a top priority Expand the use of traditional aboriginal justice in the criminal justice system Abandon any appeal of court decisions on Indian residential schools and negotiate fairs settlements with abuse victims Create aboriginal seats in Parliament Invest in new funding, staff and facilities for First Nations with regard to health care Improve health-care services for First Nations; focus on closer-to-home solutions, rather than medical evacuations Develop a national strategy to deal with issues faced by urban aboriginals Include First Nations leaders in all talks with provincial, territorial leaders and federal health care leaders Make clean water for aboriginal communities a top priority End low-level flight testing over Innu land Dedicate some of the recent increases in Sport Canada funding to increase access to programs to aboriginals

	Recognize Aboriginal and First Nations’ rights and culture Put in place a viable economic and social contract between Quebec and Aboriginal nations develop resources in an environmentally-friendly way Settle aboriginal land claims within the boundaries of Quebec

	Legislate "first use" fishing, hunting, trapping and logging rights to aboriginal and Metis people on traditional lands, especially those under federal jurisdiction Launch and maintain new processes driven by Aboriginal priorities and legal entitlements, to address governance issues, a just and fair share of lands and resources, legislative inconsistencies, policy inequities, reconciliation and -- in accordance with the wishes of First Nations -- the phased-out elimination of the Indian Act Honour Canada's fiduciary responsibility to Aboriginal peoples, including their right of self-government Implement the recommendations of the 1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples Establish a federal-provincial task force to address and investigate the disappearance of Aboriginal women Make aboriginal culture and history a mandatory component of Canadian history Deliver health care, education and other services in a way that incorporates traditional practices Target programs to reduce and eliminate systematic health inequities facing First Nation communities, new Canadians and other marginalized populations

Issue - Aboriginals