The Liberal Critic for Aboriginal Affairs says she wants Prime Minister Stephen Harper to get serious about hitting the reset button with First Nations.
Carolyn Bennet recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister where she called on him to reverse what she terms “the antagonistic relationship between the government and Aboriginal people”.
In particular, Bennett feels a lot of the positive momentum that had been generated in the wake of the government’s apology for residential schools and the 2012 Crown-First Nations gathering has been squandered.
She says the current atmosphere isn’t helping anyone and that’s why the Prime Minister needs to set the tone for change:
“Every single one of his ministers needs to understand the Prime Minster is serious about changing the relationship and going back to the peace and friendship treaties that actually had Aboriginal people in Canada as partners and not adversaries.”
Bennett adds the animosity between the government and Aboriginal people is well documented and in the public realm.