Jaime Batiste says he would like to think he was loyal to the end.
But in recent days, the Mi’kmaw MP said he, too, had begun to question whether his embattled boss, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, was still the right person to lead the party into the race. Ta.
Amid infighting, a by-election loss and a slump in the polls, Trudeau announced Monday his decision to prorogue parliament until March and step down once the Liberals elect a new president, the chairman of the Free Indigenous Caucus. But that didn’t come as a surprise to Batiste. successor.
“When Canadian voters say something, as politicians we have to listen,” Batiste said.
“And I respect the Prime Minister’s decision. I know there were a lot of people who called for the Prime Minister to be removed. As chair of the Indigenous Caucus, I didn’t think that was necessary and There was no direction from the caucus on that call. ”
Reacting to Trudeau’s announcement, some Indigenous leaders praised reconciliation efforts, while others expressed disappointment at unfinished business and broken promises.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s move to prorogue parliament would override key legislation affecting First Nations, including bills to provide clean drinking water to First Nations and recognize Métis governments in three provinces. It will be.
Batiste said he was disappointed to see the long-promised water rates eliminated. But the writing was on Trudeau’s wall, he added, and no one was shocked by the decision.
“A lot of things that were on the table may now be just missed opportunities, and that’s the unfortunate part of this whole thing,” Batiste said.
“But I think everyone realized this was a possibility, and it’s really unfortunate that it turned out this way.”
On the table included a nearly $48 billion federal proposal over 10 years to reform the reserve child welfare system, which leaders rejected in favor of renegotiating in the fall. did.
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) has called on Canada to return to the table with new powers from ministers, but the Liberal Party will now enter a leadership contest, raising further uncertainty in the process. There is a possibility.
Abram Benedict, Ontario’s AFN regional director, said he expects child welfare efforts to stall now that the premier has announced his intention to resign.
“This is going to actually shut down all government operations. So we’re going to have to deal with that. You know, we’re disappointed,” he said.
AFN national director Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, who worked on Trudeau’s 2015 federal election campaign, praised the prime minister.
“In his 10 years in power, Justin Trudeau has done more to improve the quality of life for Indigenous peoples than any other prime minister in this country’s history,” Woodhouse Nepinak said on social media.
“Unprecedented access”
Natan Obed, president of the national organization Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said Inuit leaders also enjoyed access to cabinet ministers under Trudeau that was not usual under previous Canadian leaders. He said the prime minister has built real connections with Inuit in communities in all four regions of the homeland.
“The prime minister and ministers in his government have given leaders unprecedented time and access to resources so they can get the much-needed job done,” Obed said.
Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said he believes Trudeau’s decision is the right one.
“I can honestly say from the Indigenous world that I don’t think we’ve ever seen a prime minister like him in our history. I’ve been president for almost 30 years,” he said.
“Even Paul Martin was a very close friend of mine. I’ve never seen a prime minister do something like this.”
The federation, the recognized government of the Red River Métis, recently signed a modern treaty for Métis government. But with Parliament out of session, the Liberals are unable to introduce legislation to ratify the treaty.
Chartrand is disappointed that Trudeau has not fulfilled his promise to resolve Manitoba Métis land ownership, but believes there is still time for that to happen.
“He said he has some regrets. Even with the suspension period, they are still the incumbent government. They are still the government,” he said.
Trudeau has his critics, including former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould, the first Indigenous person to hold the job.
She resigned from the cabinet and was expelled from the party caucus during the 2019 SNC Lavalin scandal. On social media, he said Trudeau “didn’t seem like he wanted to leave.” [and] Sadly, it hasn’t been very kind,” but now the country can turn the page.
“I look forward to elevating our discourse beyond frivolous and toxic partisanship and refocusing on developing sound public policy to guide our future,” she said.
What will happen in the coming months until the Liberals choose a leader is open to speculation. The three main opposition parties have expressed their desire to hold elections as soon as possible.
Chartrand suggested the parties could sing a different tune in March, but Obed said they would focus on finding out what they could do for the spring budget season. said.
