A University of Saskatchewan professor says the Trudeau government has a lot of ground to catch up on Indigenous issues before the next election.
Ken Coates teaches at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy.
He says the government’s treatment of Jody Wilson-Raybould has derailed the Liberal agenda on Indigenous issues for the time being.
“With the kerfuffle over Jody Wilson-Raybould, it’s really set that (Indigenous agenda) on its back feet and First Nations across the country, Métis, Inuit people are looking very carefully to see if the government is sincere as they said they were,” he says.
Wilson-Raybould, the former attorney general, abruptly resigned from the Liberal cabinet last month and testified before the House of Commons justice committee on the SNC Lavalin affair earlier this week.
However, Coates does say the recent investment of about $24 million in northern Saskatchewan infrastructure projects should help get the government back on track.
“I think the messages in northern Saskatchewan are saying, ‘yes it will continue, we are very sincere about the processes, we are determined to keep pushing on that regard and we have high expectations for the future.’”
He also says it remains to be seen if Seamus O’Regan will be an adequate replacement for the outgoing Jane Philpott as minister of Indigenous services.
O’Regan introduced long-awaited legislation on Indigenous child and family services in the House of Commons Thursday.
(PHOTO: Ken Coates. File photo.)