OTTAWA — A legal review commissioned by the Assembly of First Nations is warning a $47.8 billion deal to reform the First Nations child welfare system could be moot if there’s a change in government in the upcoming year.
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP also warns there is no guarantee a new government would be willing to negotiate or make similar commitments to what the governing Liberals have proposed.
The Conservatives, who have a wide lead in the polls, did not respond to repeated requests for comment about whether or not they would negotiate with First Nations.
The $47.8-billion agreement was struck in July to address decades of underfunding of child welfare programs on reserves that tore First Nations children from their families to be placed in foster care.
The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the government to reform the system and pay compensation.
First Nations chiefs voted down the deal in October, saying it didn’t go far enough to protect their kids and ensure the discrimination stops.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press