Liberals told to fix children’s health care
OTTAWA • The Trudeau government moved to head off criticism Thursday it was moving too slowly to improve health care for First Nations and Inuit children.
New Democratic MPs will lead a daylong debate in the House of Commons in which they will argue Ottawa has done little to respond to a January ruling by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that these children were victims of systemic discrimination because federal and provincial governments devoted significantly fewer resources to their health care than for non-native children.
The party is expected to demand an immediate $155 million for health care for First Nations and Inuit youth.
The Commons debate comes on the heels of a motion unanimously passed Wednesday by the Manitoba legislature criticizing Ottawa for discriminating against First Nations children.
It also comes as an increasing number of indigenous leaders grow impatient with the Trudeau government.
“It has now been a year since the federal Liberals were elected to a majority government with the power to enact positive change,” Isadore Day, Ontario regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations wrote in his October update to other chiefs.
“Unfortunately, despite the ministerial mandates to improve indigenous relations as the top priority, very little has changed.”
Earlier Thursday, two senior federal officials said Ottawa has taken significant steps to reform how it and provincial authorities provide health-care services to First Nations and Inuit children.
But those steps amount to mostly federal-provincial meetings of officials, organizing a summit later this fall and an agreement to do a survey.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett has appointed a special ministerial representative who will engage in crosscountry consultations and lead reforms in the federal government.
“It’s not a bunch of bureaucrats talking. It’s a bunch of bureaucrats listening,” said Margaret Buist, director general of the child and family services branch at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. “It takes some time to improve the process.”
Buist said the government’s plan to phase in increased funding over several years was deliberate. Provincial, regional and First Nations health authorities need time to hire extra staff and build up the capacity to be able to use the money wisely.
Sony Perron, an associate deputy minister at Health Canada, said since July, 900 children have benefited from health care provided under what is known as Jordan’s Principle.
This says when a child asks any government department — federal, provincial or territorial — for health care, that department must provide it even if it believes another level of government should pay.