By Jeff Labine

NDP leadership hopefuls see promise in Indigenous youth

Jul 13, 2017 | 12:00 PM

The federal NDP candidates looking to lead the party in the next election believe Indigenous people are a key component to Canada’s future success.

Candidates Charlie Angus, Guy Caron, Niki Ashton and Jagmeet Singh are battling to become the next party leader after Tom Mulcair lost a leadership review last year. During their stop in Saskatchewan for their fifth and only debate in the Prairies, paNOW asked some of the candidates how they would bridge the gap with Indigenous communities.

Charlie Angus, an Ontario-based MP, said he’s frustrated the federal government hasn’t done more to invest in Indigenous youth.

“We have lost too many young people because government refused to put in proper money for education, for health services,” he said. “You look at the growing population of Saskatchewan, [it is] young Indigenous. Let’s put those investments there and let’s start to build together because our future as a nation is going to be with Indigenous people and the rest of Canada.”

He added he has a lot of faith in the potential of Indigenous youth who are starting to come into the workforce.

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Guy Caron, a Quebec-based MP, thought issues with the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls was as a sign of a struggling government. 

“I do believe there has been a trust that has been broken here,” he said. “What we will need to do is reestablish a connection, to reestablish that bond between First Nations and the federal government will be not only to move ahead in the direction that needs to be done.”

What needs to be done, he said, is ensuring communities have access to clean, drinkable water and decent housing as well as providing proper funding for health care and child support services. He stressed the government also needs to establish a timeline to ensure these promises are kept.

Singh said he’s committed to working with all First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities to advance reconciliation. He said as leader, he would implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action including introducing an Indigenous languages act.

“Justin Trudeau has let Indigenous communities down after a series of broken promises to further reconciliation,” he said in an email. “(I) recognize how systemic racism continues to hold us back from repairing relationships.”

He added he’s calling for a federal ban on racial profiling to ensure everyone is treated equally.

Ashton was unavailable for comment.

Jeff.labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter

Editor’s note: Story was updated to include comments from NDP leadership candidate Jagmeet Singh.