No federal endorsement: Erasmus
Dene National Chief tells people to vote in fall election but not who to vote for
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, July 17, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus will not be urging the people he represents to vote against the Conservative Party in the federal election this fall.
Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus said he won't be encouraging the people he represents to vote against the Harper Conservatives in the next federal election. Erasmus said he has to work with the winning party so he does not endorse candidates. - John McFadden/NNSL photo |
That is despite a call at last week's Assembly of First Nations (AFN) annual meeting in Montreal for chiefs to do exactly that.
"People in the end will of course decide for themselves and we'll discuss that next week at the Dene National Assembly in Deline," Erasmus said.
"Clearly people are not happy and it's always been the choice of communities to go out and vote if they so choose. Our job is to help provide the information ... so that they can make the choice."
Erasmus said he has never, as Dene National Chief, publicly endorsed a federal party or candidate nor told his people to vote against anyone.
"In the end, we have to work with whoever gets in and if you choose the wrong person then you've put yourself in an awkward position," he said.
"Regardless of who wins we have to work with them as governments. The governing party of the day has a legal obligation and they have to work with us."
Derek Nepinak, the grand chief of the assembly of Manitoba chiefs, told the assembly that every indigenous leader has a responsibility to return to their community and ensure their youth are registered to cast a ballot on Oct. 19.
He urged the chiefs to persuade their communities to vote for the candidate - Liberal or New Democrat - with the best chance of defeating a Conservative.
Chiefs at the Assembly also stressed the need to get aboriginals to the polls for the federal vote.
Elections Canada reports that only 45 per cent of aboriginal people on reserves voted in the 2011 federal election.
Voter turnout in the NWT among aboriginal people is higher than it is in the south, Erasmus said.
"It might be because they know that they can influence the outcome much more than people in the south because of numbers," Erasmus said.
"It hasn't been a big problem in the past but it will be discussed next week in Deline."
Liberal leader Justin Trudeau addressed the AFN meeting last week as did Thomas Mulcair, leader of the NDP, andGreen Party leader Elizabeth May. Despite being invited, neither Prime Minister Stephen Harper or Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt were in attendance.
Valcourt's office told national media that the minister was not present because he was attending "important events" in New Brunswick.
Erasmus said he doesn't know why the Prime Minister chose not to attend.
"It's difficult to understand that because there wasn't any ministers or any federal representatives there to take in the assembly," Erasmus said.
"They are the federal government, and the legal relationship exists and the only way you can make things work is if you develop that relationship to the extent that work can get done."
Erasmus is up against Harold Cook in next week's election for Dene national chief at the Dene National Assembly in Deline. Yellowknifer asked Cook to respond to the same questions asked of Erasmus. He stated that he was out of town and unable to respond by press time.
