First Nations, Indigenous leaders raise concerns about Justin Trudeau’s departure
Miles Morrisseau
ICT
The sudden announcement this week that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down brought mixed reactions from Indigenous leaders – praise for the promises he has kept but concerns about the ones that have yet to be worked out.
The announcement that he would leave office once a new leader of the Liberal Party is chosen puts an end to nearly 10 years of service that began with an early pledge to work closely with the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
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“No relationship is more important to me and to Canada than the one with First Nations, Métis Nation and Inuit People,” he said during his first term.
Trudeau, 53, asked that Parliament be put on temporary hiatus, known as proroguing, until March 24, to give the Liberal Party time to select a new leader. It is still unknown when the next election will take place, although it likely will come soon after Parliament returns.
Indigenous leaders said his departure raises concerns about issues that remain unresolved.
“His leadership brought attention to longstanding challenges and resulted in important progress in areas such as clean water, housing, education, and child welfare,” said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak of the Assembly of First Nations. “The passing of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was a milestone in aligning Canadian law with the rights and self-determination of First Nations.”
Woodhouse Nepinak noted, however, that there is much work left undone, specifically in the areas of child welfare and safe drinking water.
“We have not yet received a commitment from the federal government to seek a new mandate to negotiate long-term reform of First Nations Child and Family Services, which we have repeatedly sought,” she said. “We also await the tabling and Royal Assent of Bill C-61, the First Nations Clean Water Act, which is urgently needed to ensure First Nations’ basic human right of access to safe drinking water is upheld and respected.”
Also unresolved are self-governance agreements worked out with the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Métis Nation of Alberta and the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan. The agreements are now stalled and will fall under the purview of the next government.
Calls for resignation
Trudeau announced on Monday, Jan. 6, that he would resign as Prime Minister and from his role as leader of the Liberal Party, citing “internal battles.” The decision had been anticipated after members of his party began to openly call for his resignation.
There had been rumblings of discontent, but the fight officially became public when Trudeau’s right hand, Chrystia Freeland, stepped down Dec. 17 from the Liberal Caucus and her role as Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister.
In a statement, Freeland noted that the threat of a tariff war with the incoming U.S. president, Donald Trump, was the reason she quit.
“Our country is facing a grave challenge,” Freeland stated. “That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war.”
His departure will bring a familiar end to a Trudeau administration. His father, Pierre Trudeau, was elected prime minister in 1966 with the help of a Beatles-inspired youth movement dubbed Trudeaumania. Pierre Trudeau served as prime minister for more than 15 years until he stepped down amid low polling numbers and internal revolt.
The younger Trudeau came to power in 2015 offering a similar fresh-faced enthusiasm to a party that had been losing to the conservatives for nearly a decade. He brought the Liberals back to power and they basked in the glory of their new leader's charisma and sunny ways.
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One of his first moves to demonstrate his commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples was to appoint Jody Wilson-Raybould, We Wai Kai Nation, to the position of Minister of Justice and Attorney General, a first for an Indigenous person.
That relationship would end in scandal, however, with the Canadian Ethics Commissioner ruling that Trudeau improperly influenced Raybould during a criminal case involving Quebec-based construction company, SNC-Lavalin. Raybould was removed from caucus, and she later resigned from the party to sit as an independent.
Raybould took to X, formerly known as Twitter, soon after Trudeau resigned and offered a backhanded compliment.
“The PM did not sound like he wanted to go & was sadly not too gracious, but he is going. I thank him for his service.” Raybould posted, “And now…we can finally turn the page.”
An emotional address
The prime minister spoke to the country in a live broadcast outside of his official residence, known as Rideau Cottage, in Ottawa.
“Every morning I’ve woken up as prime minister, I have been inspired by the resilience, the generosity and the determination of Canadians,” said an emotional Trudeau. “It is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office. That is why, since 2015, I’ve fought for this country, for you, to strengthen and grow the middle class. We rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy and to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future.”
Before announcing his retirement, the prime minister met with Governor General Mary Simon, the King of England’s official representative from Canada, to request that the government be prorogued for the next three months. Simon, Inuk, is the first Indigenous person to hold the governor general position.
“Despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority Parliament in Canadian history,” Trudeau said of his lame-duck government. “That's why this morning I advised the governor general that we need a new session of parliament. She has granted this request, and the House will now be prorogued until March 24.”
Trudeau admitted that it was the internal divisions that led to his decision.
“This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election,” he said.
Mixed reaction
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs released a statement regarding the proroguing of the government.
“The Parliamentary break until March 2025 raises concerns about delays in addressing urgent First Nations issues,” the chiefs said in a statement. “We urge the federal government to ensure uninterrupted support and services during this transition. Funding and Ministerial/departmental support should continue during these next 2.5 months.”
David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, offered high praise to the outgoing prime minister.
“To Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on behalf of my people, I thank you for your unprecedented contributions to reconciliation with us, and for your steadfast determination and vision to guide us toward a better Canada,” Chartrand said. “The individual who undertakes to lead Canada next will have big shoes to fill and should never ignore the rich legacy of Justin Trudeau.”
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