Debate: the chiefs evoke the natives on resource and security issues

The development of Canada’s mineral and energy resources has occupied a good part of the exchanges during the debate of chiefs in English on Thursday evening. It was only during discussions on this subject – and security issues – that aspiring prime ministers spoke of the natives.

Marc Carney, Pierre Poilievre, Jagmeet Singh and Yves-François Blanchet agreed on a certain number of points during this last joute before the ballot, whose importance of developing the natural resources of Canada.

How to do it and what resources to prioritize is however a much more contentious question between the chiefs.

The host Steve Paikin So had the liberal chief directly challenged: how to reconcile his desire to quickly build an energy corridor with the obligation to consult and obtain the consent of indigenous peoples?

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Part of this process is to ensure that First Nations and Aboriginal people embark from the start and can participate directly in these projectsunderlined the liberal chief, specifying that the most promising projects must be targeted for go to a goal.

He later reiterated his promise to double the Aboriginal loan guarantee guarantee program.

This program, announced in the 2024 budget, would therefore increase from $ 5 billion to $ 10 billion. In March, Mr. Carney had also indicated that this program would no longer be limited to energy and natural resources projects, if elected.

In the same vein, Jagmeet Singh also argued that he You have to make sure to work in partnership with indigenous peoples When the moderator questioned him about his desire to exploit critical minerals. Steve Paikin Then launched the same question to Yves-François Blanchet, who also said he was favorable, But it must be well donesaid the block chief.

Pierre Poilievre was not arrested on this Thursday, unlike the French debate on Wednesday. When Patrice Roy asked him significantly the same question, he replied that it was necessary to line up on the side of the majority when energy projects do not consensus.

Incarcerations and relations with GRC

The theme of public security has also been an opportunity for Aboriginal issues to make a rare appearance. First, the host Steve Paikin brought the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in the prison system to the country, while the conservative head proposes policies to the country. harsh crime.Do you not fear that your crime fighting platform aggravates the situation [pour les personnes autochtones]? asked him Mr. Paikin. Aboriginal people represented 23 % of prisoners in 2013, but proportion jumped 32 % in 2023, according to Canada’s correctional investigator. The situation is worse in women: half of the prisoners were indigenous women in this assessment.

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I am concerned with the fact that the natives are victims of crimes in a disproportionate mannerreplied the conservative chief, refocusing the discussion on the criminals which reoffend despite previous convictions.

Mr. Poilievre cited as an example A wonderful group of natives in Saskatchewan, several of which were killed by an individual who had 60 previous convictionsstill according to the conservative chief, who has not made more details.

He probably referred to Myles Sandersonthe suspect who stabbed 11 people in the nation to death James Smith and in the village of Weldonin 2022. Myles Sanderson had 59 convictions for various violent crimes to his credit.

Steve Paikin also pressed Mr. Singh to specify his intentions as to the reform of the Royal Gendarmerie of Canada (GRC) that he offers.

The neo-democratic chief explained thatThere have been serious concerns concerning violence or inappropriate use of force [par les agents] in the exercise of their functionswhile affirming the importance of a leading police force which ensures [la] security [dans les communautés] By showing sensitivity and understanding.

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Agents of the GRC were involved in 10 of the 19 interventions that led to the death of an indigenous person in 2024, according to data compiled by Aboriginal areas. Faced with this large number of fatal interactions, the First Nations Assembly asked in December a national investigation into racism in the police.

The chief of NPD also stressed the importance for communities to acquire their own police service. This is a very worrying subject. I think everyone in our country should feel safehe added.

Indigenous police bodies are not recognized as essential, which means that they have no lasting and stable funding. Justin Trudeau had promised that his government would present a new First Nations police law, but no bill to this effect has been adopted.