Phil Fontaine
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Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada Media Clips Résolution des questions des pensionnats indiens Canada Manchettes Wednesday, January 18, 2006 ™ mercredi, 18 janvier 2006 M e d ia C lip s - 1 8 J a n u a ry 2 0 0 6 A c tu a lité d u 1 8 ja n v ie r 2 0 0 6 Table of Contents/ Table des matières IR S A R T IC L E S-A R T IC L E S D ’IR S R E SID E N T IA L SC H O O L P A Y O U T ...............................................................................................................3 CONSERVATIVE STRATEGIST SANDRA BUCKLER ON FONTAINE COMMENTS ...4 P H IL F O N T A IN E P R E SS C O N F E R E N C E O N F M M A N D R E SID E N T IA L SC H O O L C O M M IT M E N T S.......5 FONTAINE WORRIED BY TORY ABORIGINAL AGENDA.....................................................7 FONTAINE INTERVIEW.......................................................................................................................8 AN EXCLUSIVE WEB COMMENT: PHIL FONTAINE ............................................................1 0 NATIVE LEADER TO VOICE CONCERNS WITH TORY........................................................1 1 M A R T IN C O U R T S N A T IV E S ......................................................................................................................1 3 B C -R E SID E N T IA L -SC H O O L S....................................................................................................................1 5 B C -C D A -N E W S-D IG E ST (A L SO C P N E W SW IR E )....................................................................................1 6 F SIN V IC E -C H IE F F E A R S T O R IE S W O U L D A L T E R D E A L ......................................................................1 7 F IR ST N A T IO N V O T E S K E Y F O R N Y ST R O M (SIM IL A R IN T H E L E A D E R P O ST )..................................1 8 TORIES CRITICIZED FOR POSITIONS ON FIRST NATIONS ISSUES ................................................. 20 O T H E R A R T IC L E S-A U T R E S A R T IC L E S ROBERT NAULT REDUX?...............................................................................................................2 1 THE ELECTION: ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS ................................................................................... 22 TO REVISIT NATIVE POLICY..........................................................................................................2 4 2 M e d ia C lip s - 1 8 J a n u a ry 2 0 0 6 A c tu a lité d u 1 8 ja n v ie r 2 0 0 6 Source: Canada First Perspective - Scanterbury,Manitoba,Canada Date: Jan 17, 2006 By-line: N/A Residential School Payout The agreement to provide compensation to residential school survivors should be secure regardless of which party forms the next government, says Grand Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations. On Nov. 30 the federal cabinet approved the agreement in principle, which had been accepted by AFN days earlier. Among other measures, people who attended schools were to have the option of settling for a payment of $10,000 plus $3,000 for each year they attended school. “We anticipate this will not be affected by a change in government,” Fontaine said in an interview in early January. The November agreement sets out the basic terms of the agreement. Initially the plan was to have details worked out by the end of January. Fontaine now says the overall package should be finalized by March. The final text would have to be approved by the government and sent to seven jurisdictions within Canada for court approval. The agreement is also to include a mandatory waiting period for survivors who use the common experience plan and for early payment for survivors who are 65 or older. Fontaine said he doesn’t expect any future government to attempt to go back on the deal. When asked whether the next government could tie up the process through negotiations or administrative delay, Fontaine said he did not expect that to happen either. For information about the compensation deal individuals can search the AFN website at afn.ca or call the following AFN toll-free number 1-866-869-6789. 3 M e d ia C lip s - 1 8 J a n u a ry 2 0 0 6 A c tu a lité d u 1 8 ja n v ie r 2 0 0 6 Source: DON NEWMAN POLITICS Date: JANUARY 17, 2006 By-line: N/A CONSERVATIVE STRATEGIST SANDRA BUCKLER ON FONTAINE COMMENTS >>Don: Sandra, as we get closer to the election day and with the Conservatives continuing to lead in the polls, we saw Phil Fontaine a moment ago talking about his worries that a Conservative government wouldn't honor two agreements that the government when it was run by the Liberals reached with Aboriginal Canadians. We saw Jack Layton taking a shot at the financial commitments or lack thereof in the Conservative platform. So obviously with five days to go, you are the target. Does Phil Fontaine have anything to worry about? >>Buckler: No, he doesn't. And I just want to make sure we put this issue forefront on the table even though you're not here. We want to make sure that Phil understands that our critic Jim Prentice has met with him exactly on this issue. The Conservative party supports the residential school compensation program. It's unfortunate that about twice as much money has gone to the administration of this program than money to victims, but we stand behind this agreement. I'm also quite proud to say that the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples have also endorsed the party. So we believe that the Aboriginal people have nothing but hope in our platform. We look forward to working with them. As for the Kelowna Agreement, we've gone on the record saying we endorse and support the targets of the Kelowna Agreement. Both our Finance Critic and our Aboriginal Critic are both in unison on this issue. We want to make sure we work with the Premiers and First Nations regarding the costing. We want to make sure it's an accurate costing and we haven't seen it so we want to make sure we have a look at it, but we fully support the Kelowna Agreement targets. 4 M e d ia C lip s - 1 8 J a n u a ry 2 0 0 6 A c tu a lité d u 1 8 ja n v ie r 2 0 0 6 Source: Phil Fontaine Press Conference Date: January 12, 2006 By-line: Transcript PHIL FONTAINE PRESS CONFERENCE ON FMM AND RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL COMMITMENTS >>Don Newman: Let's go now live to a news conference that is just beginning in ottawa. Phil Fontaine, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations is holding a news conference. Fontaine has expressed concern that the Conservatives if they form a government will bring back some parts of the new native accountability act that the Chretien government was promoting along with Bob Nault, when he was Indian Affairs Minister, but which Prime Minister Paul Martin cancelled when he became Prime Minister. >>Fontaine:...that they will honor these historic agreements. Concerned, however, that one party, the Conservative party, has said categorically that they will not honor the agreements. As well, they have provided the qualified and frankly disconcerting response regarding the residential school agreement. Let me be clear on the first nations position. We view both of these agreements as agreements with Canada. Not with any one political party or political leader. The residential schools agreement has been endorsed by all the key groups involved. The federal negotiator, federal representative, the federal government, survivors, first nations and the lawyers involved in some 20 class actions and 15,000 individual claims. The Conservative party stated recently that he may make slight adjustments to this agreement. This is deeply concerning and dangerous. Even the slightest of changes will legally undo the agreement. The result would be thousands of survivors forced back to the courts, costly and time-consuming class, suits against Canada, and more tragically, survivors dying without justice or resolution. We are not likely to see another agreement that is this comprehensive being endorsed by all of the key participants in our lifetime. On the First Ministers Meeting, we want to remind the conservative party that these agreements were crafted over 18 months of hard work and negotiations with provincial and territorial premiers. Aboriginal leaders and the government of Canada. This is not a partisan agreement. The first ministers represent political parties of all stripes, and they have all signed on. There is a critical mass of support, and this demonstrates that this agreement is good for Canada. The First Ministers meeting was largely about eradicating poverty in our communities and fostering a new age of prosperity for our people. The poverty of our people will not change because of a change in government. In both cases, if the conservative leader and his party walk away from these agreements, they're abandoning a historic opportunity to build a better Canada. We have heard the Conservative party call for new processes to get agreement on these issues. We have agreements. We have consensus. Starting over will only cost taxpayers more money and more time and squander the significant resources used to achieve these agreements. Let me conclude by saying that I am aware that many of our comments during this election have been directed toward the conservative party this is because our concerns are a result of conflicting and contradictory statements as well as our concerns about stated approach.