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September 27th, 2005, 02:36 AM
Ottawa to Spend $1 Billion More on Natives
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The federal government plans to spend at least an extra $1 billion to raise native living standards that have long embarrassed the Liberals, The Canadian Press has learned.
New funding for education, housing and other programs is to be announced Nov. 25, unless there’s an early election, sources said today.
Prime Minister Paul Martin is to commit the extra cash when he meets with aboriginal leaders and the premiers in Kelowna, B.C.
But an election campaign before an expected vote next spring would “change priorities for everyone,” said a senior government source who spoke of the funding plans on condition of anonymity.
“Everybody’s on high alert.”
Officials are still negotiating details that could see Ottawa spread the funding over several years.
Liberals have repeatedly promised to help wipe out what it calls the “shameful” reality of life in many native communities: substandard schools, overcrowded houses and poor health.
Martin is expected to outline plans to overhaul on-reserve schooling from kindergarten to Grade 12, said the government source. Money will be invested for teacher training and retention, and to bring programs up to provincial standards — with help from provincial officials.
It is hoped the move will ease squabbles that have allowed native students to fall through jurisdictional cracks.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser warned last year that it will take aboriginal high school students 28 years to match non-native graduation rates unless Ottawa takes action.
Just over 40 per cent of reserve residents had a high school diploma compared to almost 70 per cent of the general population, according to the 2001 Census.
Fraser blasted Ottawa for neglecting low teacher salaries and a disturbing lack of professional training. She also pointed out that federal officials couldn’t say whether the $1 billion spent each year on native education is too much or too little to meet standards.
Critics such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation say systemic changes are needed more than cash.
“Money isn’t the issue,” said spokeswoman Tanis Fiss. “On a per-pupil basis, the federal government is spending more on native education than provinces are spending on public education — and getting absolutely horrible results for it. It’s a system that needs to be majorly overhauled.”
Her group says Ottawa should, on a trial basis, use vouchers to directly offer native education funding to parents. That way, families could choose a school on or off reserve depending on where they live.
The meeting Nov. 25 is also to highlight plans to upgrade dilapidated native housing. Funding announcements could total much higher than $1 billion, but related talks have bogged down over how new money should be used, sources say.
The national Assembly of First Nations wants more direct control over funding through new housing authorities, but the Inuit are wary of any extra bureaucracy.
The Metis, meanwhile, have publicly expressed fear that their concerns will be sidelined amid federal hesitancy to recognize their full status as aboriginal peoples.
They say the Nov. 25 meeting is starting to look like a forum almost solely for First Nation and Inuit interests.
Fiss said Ottawa can best improve native housing by urging greater use of possession certificates. The documents give reserve residents ownership of the house itself, just not the land that is collectively held by Ottawa.
“Native Canadians need to own their own home,” she said. “It’s the pride of ownership. It’s the old saying: Nobody ever washed a rental car before returning it.”
CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA — The federal government plans to spend at least an extra $1 billion to raise native living standards that have long embarrassed the Liberals, The Canadian Press has learned.
New funding for education, housing and other programs is to be announced Nov. 25, unless there’s an early election, sources said today.
Prime Minister Paul Martin is to commit the extra cash when he meets with aboriginal leaders and the premiers in Kelowna, B.C.
But an election campaign before an expected vote next spring would “change priorities for everyone,” said a senior government source who spoke of the funding plans on condition of anonymity.
“Everybody’s on high alert.”
Officials are still negotiating details that could see Ottawa spread the funding over several years.
Liberals have repeatedly promised to help wipe out what it calls the “shameful” reality of life in many native communities: substandard schools, overcrowded houses and poor health.
Martin is expected to outline plans to overhaul on-reserve schooling from kindergarten to Grade 12, said the government source. Money will be invested for teacher training and retention, and to bring programs up to provincial standards — with help from provincial officials.
It is hoped the move will ease squabbles that have allowed native students to fall through jurisdictional cracks.
Auditor General Sheila Fraser warned last year that it will take aboriginal high school students 28 years to match non-native graduation rates unless Ottawa takes action.
Just over 40 per cent of reserve residents had a high school diploma compared to almost 70 per cent of the general population, according to the 2001 Census.
Fraser blasted Ottawa for neglecting low teacher salaries and a disturbing lack of professional training. She also pointed out that federal officials couldn’t say whether the $1 billion spent each year on native education is too much or too little to meet standards.
Critics such as the Canadian Taxpayers Federation say systemic changes are needed more than cash.
“Money isn’t the issue,” said spokeswoman Tanis Fiss. “On a per-pupil basis, the federal government is spending more on native education than provinces are spending on public education — and getting absolutely horrible results for it. It’s a system that needs to be majorly overhauled.”
Her group says Ottawa should, on a trial basis, use vouchers to directly offer native education funding to parents. That way, families could choose a school on or off reserve depending on where they live.
The meeting Nov. 25 is also to highlight plans to upgrade dilapidated native housing. Funding announcements could total much higher than $1 billion, but related talks have bogged down over how new money should be used, sources say.
The national Assembly of First Nations wants more direct control over funding through new housing authorities, but the Inuit are wary of any extra bureaucracy.
The Metis, meanwhile, have publicly expressed fear that their concerns will be sidelined amid federal hesitancy to recognize their full status as aboriginal peoples.
They say the Nov. 25 meeting is starting to look like a forum almost solely for First Nation and Inuit interests.
Fiss said Ottawa can best improve native housing by urging greater use of possession certificates. The documents give reserve residents ownership of the house itself, just not the land that is collectively held by Ottawa.
“Native Canadians need to own their own home,” she said. “It’s the pride of ownership. It’s the old saying: Nobody ever washed a rental car before returning it.”