Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver – Today’s federal budget, consistent with the recent federal Throne Speech, provides more bitter disappointment for First Nations in BC who were hoping for financial commitments from the Conservative Government to support the Kelowna Accord and BC Transformative Change Accord which were signed at the conclusion of the First Ministers meeting last November. There was, in fact, no mention of these important agreements at all.
“The Conservative’s budget today takes the wheels off the commitments made in the Kelowna Accord,” said Grand Chief Edward John, a member of the First Nations Summit Political Executive. “It looks to us like a budget for the next election campaign. Today’s budget, combined with the government’s disappointing throne speech, will do little to strengthen the federal government’s relationships with First Nations”.