Trudeau Liberals slammed over ‘lethargic’ pace on reconciliation

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — Canada’s Liberal government is being taken to task over its glacial pace in implementing recommendations from the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

After the remains of 215 children were discovered in an unmarked burial site at a former residential school in Kamloops last week, the House of Commons held a special “take-note” debate Tuesday night.

Prime Minister Justin  Trudeau says Canadians can’t close their eyes and pretend this didn’t happen; they must acknowledge that the country failed in its duty to those children, their families, and their communities. And he says they must recognize that last week’s discovery in Kamloops by the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation is part of a larger tragedy that saw many Indigenous children “disappear without trace” after being torn from their families and sent to residential schools across Canada.

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But Nunavut’s NDP MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq says statements and debates are no substitute for swift action.

“I want to thank the Honourable Members for their speeches. When listening to them, of course, we are all thinking heavily about what they’re talking about. We are talking about 215 children, babies, yes, but we are talking about 215 parents, we’re talking about communities, we are talking about generations that have been affected,” she says.

“Who knows how many more children’s bodies would be found if we searched every single site? This is not a discovery but confirmation, Indigenous people have been talking about bodies buried at these schools for decades.”

Qaqqaq says the feds are only implementing two calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission per year, noting that with 94 recommendations — it will take until 2062 to complete the work.

“The prime minister will be 91 by then,” she says, calling the current pace “lethargic.”

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh echoed these sentiments.

“This is absolutely a denial of justice. We need to take this moment, this moment now when we are feeling horror, and sadness, and pain at the discovery of these children in this grave — there’s an opportunity now. Let us use this moment, in honour of those lives that were lost, to actually fight for justice. Now,” he says.

“Words are not good enough. We need actions.”

RELATED: NDP’s Singh calls on feds for concrete action after remains discovered at residential school

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole says the discovery is a stark reminder of a dark chapter in Canada’s history. He’s calling on all parties to support immediate implementation of six recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the documentation and commemoration of children who died at residential schools and protection of their gravesites.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip with the Union of BC Indian Chiefs agrees that the Trudeau government is simply moving too slowly, also noting the commission called for a deeper investigation into whether there were undocumented remains on residential school sites.

“Clearly they haven’t done that,” he says, adding he thinks this shows a lack of political will and absence of a genuine commitment to move forward.

“It is the nature of the Trudeau Government to delay, defer and distract in relation to issues pertaining to the Indigenous peoples of this country.”

Phillip says he believes the international headlines, and widespread outrage and grief over the discovery in Kamloops could act as a catalyst for change.

“I think this time out it’s different. We have concrete evidence of mass burial, and the death of Indigenous children that attended the residential schools. So it’s pretty hard for the Trudeau government to Stonewall this issue. I think they’re going to really be shocked at the backlash that will come after this horrific revelation of the atrocities of the genocidal residential school system.”

A national Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available for anyone affected by residential schools. You can call 1-866-925-4419 24-hours a day to access emotional support and services.

With files from The Canadian Press