Collaborative Proposal Creation
Create, improve and sponsor proposals in a respectful, fully bilingual environment. Grow proposals in the "Hothouse", for promotion to the "Workshop", to become official GPC policy.
Proposal text
The Federal government will streamline the loan process for First Nations infrastructure and modify the Indian Act to eliminate Indigenous Services Canada barriers to exercising jurisdiction when providing the basic needs of Indigenous people.
Type of Proposal
Public policy that the party would represent
Objective / Benefit
A crisis in infrastructure management on Indigenous reserves led to a drinking water catastrophe that left Indigenous people across Canada without access to clean drinking water for years at a time. While the Federal government has taken some actions to mediate the existing crisis, nothing has been done to address the underlying cause of the issue. Indigenous First Nations have to contend with reams of red tape that can add years to the construction of any infrastructure projects on their land. At the same time, access to capital for the development of these projects can be limited in both when funding is available and how it can be spent. In the spirit of Reconciliation, it is time to return sovereignty to the Indigenous peoples.
If your proposal replaces an existing policy or policies, which one does it replace?
Indian Act: 18 (1) …the Governor in Council may determine whether any purpose for which lands in a reserve are used or are to be used is for the use and benefit of the band.
Indian Act: Section 18(2), 20(1), 20(2), 23, 24, 25, 51, 60, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 91, 93. - These sections give Federal representatives direct veto-power over the use of the resources of Indigenous First Nation
Indian Act: 57(c) providing for the disposition of surrendered mines and minerals underlying lands in a reserve.
List any supporting evidence for your proposal
"While not referring specifically to KCL, many First Nations told journalists that although cost overruns and delays can affect a variety of infrastructure projects, long-standing federal government procurement policies have forced them to choose the lowest bidders, leaving them with contractors that often aren’t capable of delivering what’s required to ensure clean water on time and on budget.
Despite guidelines that suggest preference be given to companies with a clean performance record, Indigenous Services Canada does not track information about companies that receive contracts for water projects in First Nations communities."
Does this proposal affect any particular group and what efforts have been made to consult with the group or groups?
Yes, Indigenous People. It is their wish.
Jurisdiction: Is this proposal under federal jurisdiction?
Yes
Please indicate the language the proposal is being submitted in.
English
This proposal has been accepted because:
81.7% of members voted in favour of adopting this motion in the all-member vote.
Amendments (1)
-
Created at
14/05/2024 -
- 0
We're building a new kind of politics. One that is open, participatory, and people-powered
If you believe in what we're doing, please consider making a small donation to help us build it
Related images
.jpeg)
Report inappropriate content
Is this content inappropriate?
Comment details
You are seeing a single comment
View all comments
Conversation with Michel Labonte
The concept of Turtle Island (pictured above) demonstrates a political will to annihilate the cultural elements brought by Europeans to the continent we call "North America". Reconciliation with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples must not become synonymous with the historical erasure of European perceptions of history. Without going back on the "Doctrine of Discovery", which Pope Francis has renounced, the Catholic Church itself must retain the traditional common language of Western culture to designate the continent known as "North America". It must be recognized that the concept of Turtle Island is a cultural appropriation of certain First Peoples' cultures, and that it does not enjoy unanimous support among them. It is therefore important that the Green Party does not encourage the use of this concept, as it promotes division. Reconciliation must not lead to symbolic revenge for the colonial legacy. This would no longer be a path to reconciliation, but a dead end that would unfairly discriminate against the two founding peoples, those from France and Great Britain, who founded the institutions by which our democracy exists, imperfect though it may be. The Green Party of Canada derives its existence from this democracy, historically founded in the Canada of 1867 by the British North America Act. It would be ironic, even absurd, to encourage institutional self-sabotage in the name of a false conception of reconciliation.
The attempt to correct our history by including the impact of European settlement on indigenous people is in no way an attempt to "annihilate" or "erase" the settler view of our history. It is, instead, an attempt to improve the accuracy of our history.
Loading comments ...