Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says he has been ready, willing and able to make an apology for the Sixties Scoop for two years, but he doubts it will happen before he steps down from provincial politics in January.
The issue of the apology dominated debate in the legislature Thursday, with the NDP Opposition calling for compensation as well as an apology.
The NDP’s First Nations and Metis Critic, Buckley Belanger, is siding the FSIN which says an apology without some form of compensation is meaningless.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron has suggested a payment of as much as $400 million. Belanger wouldn’t give a number, but says an apology alone is not enough.
“You know there is a lot of damage done, serious damage to some families,” Belanger says. “And for him (the premier) to arbitrarily say: ‘we are not talking compensation, but I am willing to apologize’ — well, that rings pretty hollow.”
Wall says an apology comes with a commitment to do better, something he says his government is doing, but he was not optimistic the apology will happen before he steps down in January.
“We are ready to do that, we are ready to do it this session in the legislature,” Wall says. “But, no, I am not confident based on my two years of experience since I made these announcements.”
The federal government has agreed to pay about $800 million for the Sixties Scoop, but the compensation covers only status Indians and Inuit, and leaves out Metis and non-status Indians.