“The action plan is 72 pages full of beautiful words and opening demonstrations. But the whole thing is also designed to provide multiple exit doors for Ottawa, and no specific commitment is being made for now that will bring about tangible changes within communities.”
This is how the first Indigenous person to hold the post of Attorney General, Jody Wilson-Raybould, describes the vision of the Trudeau government, from which she was expelled in April 2019 in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin.
According to Ms. Wilson-Raybould, the document produced by the office of her successor in the judiciary, David Lametti, typifies how Canada works when it comes time to work together to improve the situation for First Nations people in the country.
Open in full screen mode
During her speech, Jody Wilson-Raybould wanted to popularize the accord’s complex legal language to warn chiefs about Ottawa’s strategies.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Jerome Gill-Couture
I saw it clearly when I was in the Council of Ministers. The federal government advocates the use of a vocabulary that appears to be very open, but leaves room for interpretation and allows negotiators to drag out procedures. There is nothing concrete, no deadlines. “It’s subtle what they’re doing,” she said on the final day of the Assembly of First Nations’ (AFN) annual general meeting, which was primarily devoted to the issue of further developing UNDRIP legislation.
A few months ago, the AFN criticized the direction of the action plan. Most of these seem to have been taken into account. The UNDRIP Act has the potential to completely transform the Canadian legal landscape in relation to Indigenous Peoples.
“We have worked in consultation with the First Nations and the Inuit to develop this plan, the scope of which is paramount,” defended David Lametti during his presentation in Halifax.
The process started is immense; We must amend or replace any federal law that could directly or indirectly affect First Nations. Anyone who claims that it can be done quickly or easily is unrealistic.
Open in full screen mode
Minister Lametti outlined the process to implement his UNDRIP Action Plan. He had to respond to criticism from his predecessor in the Council of Ministers, Jody Wilson-Raybould.
Photo: Radio-Canada / Jerome Gill-Couture
For Jody Wilson-Reynould, the implementation of UNDRIP should only be seen as a first step, allowing First Nations access to a minimum of rights and dignity.
Even if we manage to implement it properly and ensure that its principles are respected in Canada, that is not the end goal. First Nations must be placed in a situation where they, their languages and their cultures can thrive, she explains.
During the annual general meeting of the AFN, after each presentation, the chairmen of the board have the opportunity to have a speaking time in order to comment on the dossier under discussion. Many took the opportunity to highlight Ms. Wilson-Raybould’s analysis and the important contribution she was able to make to discussions between First Nations and the federal government.
The AFN has not had an elected chair since RoseAnne Archibald was impeached on June 28. However, many see in Jody Wilson-Raybould the potential of a national leader who knows and understands both the federal and Aboriginal political milieus. Not to mention that from 2009 to 2015 she was the regional leader of the British Columbia First Nations Assembly.
Jody Wilson-Raybould’s candidacy in federal politics ended in controversy following the SNC-Lavalin affair, during which she claimed she had been pressured – including by the Prime Minister’s office – to quit. Prosecution against the engineering firm.
However, nothing has been decided and no announcement has been made for the time being as to whether Ms Wilson-Raybould might have a potential interest in the position. The APN announced that the next elections would be held in December.