Daily Archives: September 4, 2021

Nova Scotia's new minister of natural resources and renewables said Thursday he wants to know more about the process the former Liberal government used to remove the pending protection status from a piece of Crown land so it could be considered for sale to a private developer.

"We don't agree with how things rolled out with the previous government," Tory Rushton told reporters following a cabinet meeting.

Still, Rushton stopped short of saying the new Progressive Conservative government would cancel the potential sale of what's known as Owls Head provincial park to an American couple.

The couple, Beckwith and Kitty Gilbert, want to develop the 285 hectares, along with adjacent property they own in the Little Harbour area, to build up to three golf courses, housing and tourist accommodations.

"I haven't been fully briefed on this whole file yet," said Rushton. "That's something that is ongoing with other ministers and the premier, as well,right now."

Rushton said the process to gather that information started Wednesday and will continue.

The former Liberal government quietly delisted the land in 2019 so it could enter into an agreement to potentially sell the land to a company called Lighthouse Links, which is owned by the Gilberts.

Opponents to the move have condemned what they see asthe secretive approach the former Liberal government used, and that the kind of development the Gilberts are proposing would destroy a sensitive andglobally rare ecosystem.

Supporters of the project, meanwhile, say it would create much-needed economic development and jobs.

Before the provincial cabinet can ultimately make a decision on whether to sell the land, the Gilberts must engage in public consultation using a plan the government must first approve, as well as satisfy all requirements under provincial environmental regulations.

NDP Leader Gary Burrill said the Tories should simply cancel the potential sale.

"I think the government needs to send a signal in this moment of the twin emergencies of biodiversity and climate change, that it understands that this is at the top of the order paper, that conservation is not some peripheral matter, a sidebar," he said.

MORE TOP STORIES

Go here to see the original:

Provincial government reviewing process used to delist Owls Head provincial park - CBC.ca

Mayoral hopeful Andrea Campbell painted herself as the only candidate without ties to the citys influential development industry, while also calling on Acting Mayor Kim Janey to enact an eviction moratorium.

Im the only candidate that actually does not have any ties whatsoever to anyone in the development community, Campbell said at a press conference Monday.

She was likely referring to her mayoral rival Annissa Essaibi-George, whose husband is a real estate developer in Boston.

Other candidates, including Janey, John Barros and Essaibi-Georges husband, are landlords, and Michelle Wus husband works in the commercial real estate industry. Campbell later clarified that she has no personal ties to development, including through family.

A Boston Herald analysis conducted in July found that Janey raked in about $100,000 from developers since March, while Essaibi-George raised over $80,000 from developers in that same time period. Rounding out the group was Barros, who took in the next-highest chunk relative to his total earnings, at over $34,000. Campbell raised about $32,000 out of $588,000 from developers, while Wu raised $19,000 out of $606,000.

On Tuesday, Campbell also called on Janey to enact an eviction moratorium in Boston, as neighboring cities like Cambridge, Somerville and Malden have done.

Last week, the Supreme Court struck down the existing federal moratorium put in place by the Centers for Disease Control, saying that it was an overreach by the CDC and that Congress must specifically authorize it themselves.

The state-level eviction moratorium in Massachusetts was not renewed by Gov. Charlie Baker.

Campbell also called for a faster disbursement of rental assistance. A release by her office stated that out of over $50 million in rental assistance available to Boston renters, only $16 million has been distributed to over 3,000 families in the city as of earlier this month.

She added that as mayor, she wants to provide better resources to the Office of Housing Stability, permanently fund the citys Rental Relief Fund and create a workforce housing voucher program to cut down on the Housing Authoritys waiting lists, among other programs.

The latest poll of the mayoral candidates shows Wu leading with 24% of the vote, Essaibi-George in second with 18%, Janey at 16%, Campbell at 14% and Barros with 2%. A quarter of likely voters are still up for grabs.

Here is the original post:

Andrea Campbell touts independence from developer influence, advocates for Boston eviction moratorium - Boston Herald

TORONTO -- As affordability becomes a key topic during the federal election campaign for all major parties, the news that the Canadian economy contracted in the second quarter is bad for both the Liberals and the Conservatives, according to pollster Nik Nanos.

On Tuesday, Statistics Canada reported that the economy contracted at an annualized rate of 1.1 per cent between April and June the first quarterly contraction since the first COVID-19 wave lockdowns in 2020. To make matters worse, the agency also estimated another drop in real gross domestic product in July.

The news yesterday that the economy had shrank would not be good for any incumbent government, Nanos said on Wednesdays edition of CTV's Trend Line podcast. The last thing that you want is for the numbers to come out and to suggest that the economy is shrinking.

Nanos said the Liberals called the election when they did because they were hoping to capitalize on good will from the Canadian public for their handling of the pandemic and the supply of COVID-19 vaccines they procured while getting ahead of future concerns about the economy related to the pandemic.

This GDP number is bad for the Liberals, he said. It undermines one of the key pillars that they were hoping would be in place.

This latest news also wont help to restore Canadians faith in the economy, according to Nanos, who said the population is already feeling grumpy about it. He said the latest weekly Bloomberg-Nanos tracking on consumer confidence shows that.

According to the data, 37 per cent of Canadians believe the economy will get stronger (down seven percentage points from four weeks earlier), while 30 per cent believe the economy will get weaker, and about 20 per cent believe there will be no change.

The trend in terms of consumer confidence has been dropping over the last couple of weeks and couple that with a drop or shrinking of the economy and the GDP, it is basically a one-two punch in terms of creating negativity, anxiety and concern among Canadians when it comes to the economy, Nanos said.

And while the shrinking economy spells trouble for the Liberals, Nanos said the Conservatives wont fare much better thanks to their dependence on economic growth in their platform. According to the plan, the Conservatives would be able to balance the budget without any cuts within 10 years.

However, the plan hinges on the assumption that there will be an annual GDP growth of roughly three per cent, which some economists believe is unrealistic, Nanos said.

These GDP numbers dont help [Conservative Leader] Erin OToole because if the economy is shrinking, and your fiscal plan is based on the economy growing, its hard to reconcile those two things, at least for average voters, Nanos said.

OToole will need to defend his platform in order to maintain the mini advantage he has over Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in Nanos Researchs latest nightly tracking conducted for CTV News and the Globe and Mail, which was released on Wednesday morning.

According to the data, the Conservatives are leading with 33.7 per cent support, followed by the Liberals with 31 per cent, and the NDP with 20.3 per cent. The other parties trail significantly behind with the Bloc Quebecois at 6.8 per cent, the Peoples Party of Canada at 4.1 per cent, and the Greens at 3.5 per cent.

In terms of who Canadians prefer for their next prime minister, Trudeau has a slight lead with 29.2 per cent support, followed by OToole with 28.4 per cent, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh at 19.2 per cent. PPC Leader Maxime Bernier has 4.9 per cent support, just ahead of BQ Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, and Green Leader Annamie Paul.

The economy, and more specifically housing affordability, is also a main topic of concern for Canadians living in the vote-rich Greater Toronto Area, Nanos said.

According to polling data commissioned by CTV News and CP24 that was released on Tuesday, housing is the number one priority for voters living in Toronto and the surrounding area and one that all parties will have to address if they want to win votes there.

More than four out of every 10 residents in the GTA unprompted, which means when they could say whatever they wanted, identify housing as their as their top concern, Nanos said.

What was it that one American strategist said, It's the economy, stupid? Nanos said. That's probably what GTA residents want to say to any politician from any stripe, It's housing, stupid.

And although Toronto and the GTA are traditionally a Liberal stronghold, Nanos said it was interesting that when residents were asked who best understands the issues in their area, it was a three-way tie between Trudeau, OToole, and Singh.

That means that there's also opportunity not just for Erin O'Toole, but for Jagmeet Singh. He's got a good brand. His brand is exceptionally strong among under 35s in the in the GTA and if he can get young people to get out and vote, it can be a bit of a game changer for him, he said.

A national random telephone survey (land- and cellular-line sample using live agents) of 1,200 Canadians is conducted by Nanos Research throughout the campaign over a three-day period. Each evening a new group of 400 eligible voters are interviewed. The daily tracking figures are based on a three-day rolling sample comprising 1,200 interviews. To update the tracking a new day of interviewing Is added and the oldest day dropped. The margin of error for a survey of 1,200 respondents is 2.8 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The respondent sample is stratified geographically and by gender. The data may be weighted by age according to data from the 2016 Canadian Census administered by Statistics Canada. Percentages reported may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Read the original here:

Shrinking economy bad news for both Liberals and Conservatives: Nanos - CTV News

The "good Muslim, bad Muslim" debate is back, not surprisingly, yet again with Naseeruddin Shah's recent viral video on the Taliban's re-emergence to power, and condemnation of a certain section of Indian Muslims who seem to be in a celebratory mood after the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan for the second time.

It is widely known that every culture has a tangible essence, and that does not exclude politics.

In America, the churning and 'othering' largely started in the post 9/11 world.

In India, the minorities have lived with this 'othering' since Independence and the Partition of 1947.

Back in college, a roommate of mine had asked me this question: Saira, when there's an India-Pakistan match, whom do you cheer for? Taking it as a deep affront, as if my father, who was then serving in the Indian Army and everything that my family or I could ever stand for, stood decimated, the shadow of being from the 'minority' community always hung on the head like the sword of Damocles.

The quest of belonging and being orphaned in your own country is a paradox every Muslim in the country is grappling with today, 75 years after Independence, the question of identity being the moot question.

ALSO READ | Taliban claim they have 'right' to speak for Muslims in Kashmir

The innate desire to 'belong' is so deep-rooted that many a time, progressive and educated Muslims wear a veneer of being holier than the Pope and think that belittling their own community might earn them some brownie points with the Hindu-right.

They are everywhere -- some are TV anchors, some are spokespersons of a political party, some are prominent influencers. Their 'redeeming' comes from their bash a Muslim a day chore.

A liberal Muslim is not an isolated animal. Islam is far from being monolithic, though it's often presented and implied as homogenous. The Islamic faith today can be subjected to various interpretations by multiple believers who practise the faith according to multiple interpretations. Perhaps we can seek some uncomfortable truths by studying the divergence amongst variants of Islam, but labelling a religion as one that harbours or promotes extremism or intolerance is plain and simple libel and slander to achieve a political end.

One's equation with the maker is deeply personal. How many rozas one keeps is no one's business. It's between the individual and God.

Does that make one a lesser Muslim?

ALSO READ | Dateline Afghanistan: Meet the warlords even the Taliban fear

Many can identify with a religion's culture but choose not to participate in its rituals at all.

Others can denounce the religion they were born in or choose to adopt a completely different faith.

I have always believed that true spirituality transcends ritual mores of a faith.

A Hindustani Muslim means imbibing the good of both Hinduism and Islam, and discarding all that one deems regressive and parochial.

Is one being selective and elitist here? Maybe, but then that's one of the reasons our forefathers chose to stay back in India -- to cherish these same values. If they fancied the 'shariat', they would have migrated to Pakistan or any other Islamic nation a long time ago.

I have often been asked this question-how Muslim am I? Oh! So you don't drink alcohol or eat pork? That means you are still not that 'liberal' as you claim to be. As if consuming alcohol and 'pork' are the only two denominators to progress and liberty.

ALSO READ | How I predicted Kabuls fall two months before Ghani escaped

Contrary to what people believe, Islam is NOT a monolithic faith. Over 1,400 years in the various lands where Islam was practiced, these perspectives and practises differ because of the diversity within the Muslim community depending on the geography, ethnicity, culture and age.

The Muslim is a great many things depending on your perspective. Compassion and mercy-the core values of being a Muslim. A Muslim is anyone who calls himself/herself a Muslim that includes the secular liberal Muslims also.

One who can surrender to a force greater than himself/herself is the essence of Islam.

So, where do Muslims who bash radical forces from both sides of the fence go?

The moment a prominent Muslim takes a stand on the lynching of minorities in the country, the way Naseeruddin Shah did three years ago, the ramifications of his public stand and the troll army that was unleashed upon him is not stuff recommended for the faint-hearted.

Twitter can be a toxic place for 'cancel culture'. People wrote nasty things about him. Many trolls packed him off to Pakistan, one person even buying a one-way ticket to the neighbouring country.

Let's accept this. Muslims today are wary about expressing an opinion. Everyone today is technically a tweet away from detention.

What might offend whom, and the subsequent FIRs is anyway too much headache for an ordinary Muslim whose only priority and aspiration in life is to earn a decent livelihood, lead a normal middle-class life and get a good night's sleep.

But what happens if your own poster boy calls out people from his community? Do we have the maturity and the depth to fathom what he addressed or are we going to inflict the same cancel-culture that the Hindu right in India is engaging in?

Last night, I was on a prominent news channel debate in its prime-time. A prominent panellist who calls himself a scientist insisted: Arrey bhai, Naseer Bhai is not a good Muslim; that is why he is calling out the Taliban. To be a good Muslim, one needs to be 'Shariat Compliant', the way the Taliban is. The Taliban is only doing what the Shariat ordains you to do.

As if enjoying the conversation, the lady anchor prods the 'scientist' further, while trying her utmost to let me not complete my sentence as the scientist threw in the verse 4:34 from the Quran and asked whether I, as a progressive Muslim woman, was ok with it.

Quoting verses out of context in today's day and age will prove to be challenging, since many of the words have contested meanings.

There would eventually be a sharp divide between traditional interpretations of the verse and contemporary interpretations, but don't these conflicts remain in other religious faiths as well?

So, does Islam need a Martin Luther? It's proven since time immemorial that militant nationalism is a curse for any nation or society. One needs to blend in, syncretise, adopt the culture of the land one is born in. How long will it take to get us to practise the adage- ''permitteth every man to live according to his conscience."

Let's accept, it takes tremendous courage to take on both sides of the right-wing radical forces - the rewards - you get to please none, added perks include possible detention for speaking your mind, the slurs and threats on social media notwithstanding.

The ones celebrating and applauding Naseeruddin Shah's 'brave' stand against sections of the Muslim community celebrating the 'Taliban Win' in Afghanistan are ironically the same people who trolled him viciously when he addressed issues of lynchings three years ago.

Truth be told, he doesn't need to appease any section. He is known to be opinionated and in your face.

Whenever a prominent voice stands up for only one kind of extremism, its hypocrisy of the worst kind--either one calls out both or none at all.

Let's appreciate people for taking bold stands as we recall how stars like Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and other prominent Muslim voices have been bullied into 'deafening silence'.

While there is always room for a larger debate and discussion on religion, it should not be at the cost of further vilification of minorities. Religion should, at best, remain a personal matter.

Saira Shah Halim is a rights activist and an educator.

(All views expressed are personal.)

WATCH | Afghan woman journalist narrates her harrowing escape

View original post here:

Where do liberal Muslims, who bash both sides of the fence, go? - India Today

George Lyon: Scottish Greens deal is bad news for productive agriculture Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. Linked In An icon of the Linked In logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. All SectionsGeorge Lyon: Scottish Greens deal is bad news for productive agriculture

Visit link:

George Lyon: Scottish Greens deal is bad news for productive agriculture - Press and Journal

CBC News published this video item, entitled Liberals, Conservatives spar over tackling gun violence in Canada below is their description.

Ontario Liberal candidate Bill Blair claims Conservative Leader Erin OToole has made significant and compelling promises to the gun lobby.

Got a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.

Canada is a country in the northern part of North America. It extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles), making it the worlds second-largest country by total area.

Its southern and western border with the United States, stretching 8,891 kilometres (5,525 mi), is the worlds longest bi-national land border. Canadas capital is Ottawa, and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Various Indigenous peoples inhabited what is now Canada for thousands of years before European colonization. The Canada Act 1982, which severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British Parliament. Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy in the Westminster tradition, with a monarch and a prime minister who serves as the chair of the Cabinet and head of government.

As a highly developed country, Canada has the seventeenth-highest nominal per-capita income globally as well as the thirteenth-highest ranking in the Human Development Index. Its advanced economy is the tenth-largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks.

Read the original here:

Liberals, Conservatives spar over tackling gun violence in Canada - The Global Herald - The Global Herald

TORONTO -- Canada has now fully vaccinated 76.12 per cent of the country's eligible population. Heres what else you need to know to start your day.

1. Afghanistan evacuations: In the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the situation for Afghans hoping to escape the country remains chaotic, with some stranded at land borders and others having made it out to another country, only to get stalled again.

2. Misconduct allegations: Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is standing by a Kitchener Centre candidate who has been accused of inappropriate behaviour directed at female staffers.

3. Vaccine passport: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required to access non-essential businesses in Ontario, including gyms, indoor restaurants, movie theatres and concert halls, under the province's new vaccine certification program starting Sept. 22.

4. Truth Tracker: As Canada grapples with its fourth wave of the novel coronavirus, a growing number of provinces have begun implementing vaccine mandates. But do these policies violate Canadians' charter rights?

5. Back to school: Its likely that the highly contagious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus will force schools to close this year and it can happen very quickly, according to some officials.

One more thing

'Social throws': Female octopuses have been observed "throwing" objects at males who harass them, including during unwanted mating attempts, according to new research.

See the rest here:

5 things to know on CTVNews.ca for Thursday, September 2, 2021: Liberal candidate allegations, Ontario vaccine passport, vaccine mandates - CTV News

TORONTO -- The Assembly of First Nations is hoping to bring the atrocities of residential schools back into the national conversation after releasing its election priorities for the campaign.

The document, entitled The Healing Path Forward, outlines the five main priorities the AFN hopes the federal parties address in their own platforms:

Were asking every party to commit to them, whether theyre aligned with their platform or not, AFN National Chief RoseAnne Archibald told CTVs Power Play on Tuesday. We want them certainly to incorporate more of these into their platform if they havent already done so.

When it comes to residential schools and unmarked graves, the AFN is specifically calling for funding to communities affected by these graves, investing in strengthening and rebuilding First Nations and providing a National Indigenous healing organization.

These are our children, these are our loved ones, Archibald said. When you think about First Nations issues and whats happening in our communities, its our children who are affected. Its our children living in overcrowded homes of 10 or 20 people, its our children who are receiving education thats not on par with non-Indigenous children. Our children are still being taken by child welfare systems.

While Indigenous issues and residential schools had been a hot-button issue across Canada earlier this summer, the election campaign has been fairly quiet on the topic to date.

The fact that we just came out with our document today, will put that issue back onto peoples plates in terms of having them answer some of these questions, Archibald said.

Its an ongoing issue, itll be at least a few years before we get through all of this ground penetrating radar to examine all of the schools across Canada. So its an ongoing issue and its going to be at the forefront and were going to keep talking about and making sure that all of our children are recovered.

For a group of demonstrators outside Manitobas legislative building whove vowed to remain camped on the grounds until all the school sites have been searched, the lack of discourse has been frustrating.

Even though there are still children being found, theres still a lot of stories coming to light, I feel like were still at a stand still because there are officials who are neglecting to speak about it, said Aaliyah Leach, a co-organizer of the group.

As part of the document, the AFN is also calling for all parties to fully implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions calls to action, work in partnership with First Nations to implement Indigenous water rights, provide resources for recovery from the pandemic and return Crown lands to First Nations.

We need to get to equality and equity and justice for our children and for our community and this election time is the time to start talking about this, Archibald said.

Its estimated that Crown lands, both provincial and federal, make up upwards of 89 per cent of Canada and Archibald said the request is part of a growing land back movement.

It is a part of reparations, she said. If you think about the size of Canada, all the nations that were here prior to contact, this land was given to us by the creator we have sacred obligations to this land.

According to CTVNews.cas platform tracker, the Liberals have pledged $18 billion in funding over the next five years to improve the quality of life and create new opportunities for Indigenous communities. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have promised funding for the search of unmarked graves and $1 billion in funding to support mental health and drug treatment programs.

The NDP are promising to fully fund the search of all residential schools for more unmarked graves and to fully implement the 94 recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). The Green Party is pledging to implement every recommendation from Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit report, the TRC and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Bloc Quebecois is pledging to replace the Indian Act with a new set of nation-to-nation treaties.

The AFN is not supporting any party because it says work will need to be done regardless of which party forms the next government. The AFN adds that there are 50 Indigenous candidates running in this election, 28 of whom are from the NDP.

For Real Carriere, a political science professor at the University of Manitoba, the amount of Indigenous candidates in the election is crucial to keeping Indigenous issues in the campaign conversation.

Thats very important to Indigenous people to have that representation and its very important for those representatives to represent Indigenous issues, he said.

With files from The Canadian Press

Visit link:

Recovery of children in unmarked graves at the top of First Nations election priorities - CTV News

CollingwoodToday asked local candidates how they are committed to supporting Indigenous communities with clean drinking water and actions proposed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission; here are their responses

CollingwoodToday.ca asked each of the federal candidates in Simcoe-Grey a series of six questions via email. The following responses were submitted by the candidates and/or their campaigns. The answers have not been checked for accuracy;they represent the candidates platforms and opinions. External links have been removed.

Visit collingwoodtoday.ca/canadavotes2021 for more coverage of the federal election. Voting day is Sept. 20 and advance voting starts Sept. 10.

*****

Q: We are a rich country in many ways, but many of our First Nations reserves still dont have clean drinking water. The tragedy of residential schools has ripped open the hurt and trauma many of our Indigenous families have felt for generations. Many of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations remain unheeded. How would you address these issues and help heal these wounds?

Ken Stouffer, CHP: It grieves me to see our virtue signalling prime minister donating billions of dollars of our money to countries and causes all over the world when many of our First Nations reserves dont have clean drinking water.

We should address needs like this in Canada before we start giving money away to causes outside Canada.

At this point, Im not familiar with the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It would be good to review those recommendations and take action where it makes sense to do so.

Nick Clayton, Green: The first step towards reconciliation is acknowledgement. This is why land acknowledgements are important, but they are just the beginning.

The next step is understanding. First Nations are diverse and culturally rich, and we need to do the work to get to know the culture through Indigenous delivered curriculum in schools, and funding and support of Indigenous creative media.

First Nations are the original form of government on this land. Self-determination is not something that Indigenous populations need our permission to do, we just need to stop undermining it. As a first sign of respect, we must acknowledge the colonial racist roots of the RCMP, and cease using them as an oppressive force in our nation-to-nation relations.

First Nations have always desired a side-by-side, mutually beneficial relationship with European colonizers, and we have been the abusers in that relationship through attempted cultural genocide and exploitation. We may not have personally committed the abuse, but it is our responsibility to mend the relationship. In doing so, we may also mend our relationship with the natural world.

I would support fully enacting the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Report, and end the expansion of TMX pipeline.

Terry Dowdall, Conservative: The Conservative Party supports the process of reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous peoples.

It was a Conservative government that created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in 2007, which recognized the lasting and damaging impact of the Indian residential school system on Indigenous culture, heritage and language. The recent discovery of bodies is a somber reminder of this tragic part of our history.

Included in our response plan is a commitment to implement TRC Calls to Action 71 through 76, fund the investigation at all former residential schools in Canada where unmarked graves presently and may exist, and ensure that proper resources are allocated to reinter, commemorate, and honour any individuals discovered through the investigation, according to the wishes of their next of kin.

We are disappointed that another promise to First Nations was broken when the government failed to keep its promise to end long-term drinking water advisories. Not only will a Conservative government honour the promise, we will recognize safe drinking water as a fundamental human right. We will also work with Indigenous communities to find new approaches that will help ensure water systems investments are protected and continue providing clean drinking water in the long term.

Lucas Gillies, NDP: I lived in Nunavut as a young boy, and have experienced some of the harsh conditions that our First Nations and Inuit people live in. I also got to experience the excitement and hopes when the new Territory of Nunavut was created, as a result of land claims negotiations.

The NDP will fully implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions 94 Calls to Action in good faith, and in true and equal partnership with Indigenous communities across the country. We have to acknowledge our colonial history and create legally binding commitments to fair and equitable redress going forward, not fight against Indigenous residential school survivors in courts or chronically underfund vital services like water and housing. The NDP would fund the search for grave sites at former residential schools, a special prosecutor to hold those accountable for harm done to children and require churches and governments hand over any and all records. The NDP would fund community-driven solutions for healing.

Adam Minatel, PPC: This is a very simple task to overcome. We have some of the most ingenious drilling contractors that are contracted out globally to help third world nations with water wells and supply, but they are never consulted to see how their services can enrich our reserves.

Conversely, the Canadian Forces has some amazing engineers who would be happy to assist in the operations (mostly affecting northern reserves) and get this accomplished. Politicians have long used the Indigenous community as their token exchange talking points, and continue to do this as witnessed by pipelines (that had well over 90 per cent support of the communities they would traverse). These facts on Indigenous communities are constantly misled in media who use them as headline fodder, while the communities just wish to operate under sovereign rule, and be left to operate with minimal government interruption, which we intend to do.

Bren Munro, Liberal: I will always work to build a better future for all, and that means working in true partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Metis. I will strive to build relationships with the Wendake-Nionwentso, the Mississauga, the Anishinabewaki, the Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga, and the Petun, the traditional caretakers of the land which I hope to represent.

The Liberal government was the first to fully recognize, track, and commit the needed funding to end boil water advisories on reserve. To date, Liberals have lifted 109 long-term drinking water advisories, built 99 water treatment plants and funded 436 upgrades, and prevented 188 short-term drinking water advisories from becoming long-term. There is more work ahead, and we have a plan to end all remaining long-term advisories. We are committed to seeing it through to the end.

Liberals have committed to implementing all TRC calls to action and have recently accelerated progress towards this goal.

The devastating discoveries of thousands of unmarked graves at residential schools serve as a solemn reminder of the ongoing need for truth and reconciliation. We will continue to work with Indigenous communities to make sure that all of these graves are found

Originally posted here:

Simcoe-Grey candidates weigh-in on reconciliation with First Nations - CollingwoodToday.ca