Merasty Ready To Scrutinize Throne Speech

Merasty Ready To Scrutinize Throne Speech

Tuesday, April 04, 2006 at 12:56

The Tories unveil their throne speech in the House of Commons today, and northern Saskatchewan’s Member of Parliament says he will be paying close attention to its wording.

Gary Merasty is concerned Aboriginal issues haven’t been mentioned among the five priorities the Conservatives have said will get most of their attention.

The Liberal MP wonders what that will mean for the Kelowna Accord and the residential schools compensation agreement, both of which were signed by the previous Liberal regime just prior to the federal election.

Merasty hopes they will not only get a mention in the throne speech, but also a commitment of funding.

Meanwhile, Merasty also worries about the impact the Tories’ get-tough-on-crime approach will have on Aboriginal offenders.

He says the province’s jails already have too many inmates of Aboriginal ancestry, and increased jail time is not the answer. Merasty says the Conservatives should be focusing on prevention strategies that address the root causes of crime.