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Indigenous

An Indigenous guide to the 2019 federal election

With the 2019 federal election approaching on Oct. 21, here's a look at the parties' Indigenous candidates and platforms.

Who are the Indigenous candidates and what are the parties offering Indigenous voters?

CBC News ·
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A woman marks her ballot behind a privacy barrier in the riding of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, west of Montreal, on Oct 19, 2015. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

With the 2019 federal election approaching on Oct. 21, here's a look at the parties' Indigenous candidates and platforms. The list of candidates will be updated as the nomination period continues until the end of September and platforms will be updated as they're announced.

Who's running?

Conservative Party of Canada

Green Party of Canada

Independent

  • Kathy Doyle (Little Black River First Nation) - Winnipeg North, Man.
  • Jody Wilson-Raybould (We Wai Kai First Nation) - Vancouver-Granville, B.C.

Liberal Party of Canada

New Democratic Party

What are the parties offering?

Bloc Quebecois

Its 2019 election platform says the party supports the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). 

It promises to work toward administrative autonomy for Indigenous communities in Quebec, particularly in education, justice and culture, in the model of the Paix des Braves. It promises to recognize Indigenous police services as essential services eligible for long-term funding, like other police services.

The party also pledges to address Quebec's labour shortage by, among other things, facilitating jobs for and hiring of Indigenous people by use of incentives.

Conservative Party of Canada

Its 2019 election platform promises to "work collaboratively with Indigenous communities and leaders to review the Indian Act and other government policies and procedures to remove barriers to prosperity." It also says it will "work towards modernizing Indigenous governance."

The party pledges to find ways "to assist Indigenous rights holders in accessing capital for equity agreements and economic development." It also pledges $10 million a year to organizations that encourage partnerships between Indigenous communities and resource project proponents and promises to create a ministerial portfolio for consulting Indigenous rights holders on major projects.

The party pledges to continue to support efforts to end longterm boil-water advisories and to develop a national action plan to address the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

Green Party of Canada

Its 2019 election platform promises that a Green Party government would "fully conform" to UNDRIP, implement the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the calls for justice of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The party pledges to create the "Council of Canadian Governments" where Indigenous Peoples "will have a seat at the table as equal partners" with federal, provincial and municipal governments to develop shared goals and national policies.

The party "rejects the Indian Act as racist and oppressive legislation and is committed to dismantling the act in full partnership and with First Nations taking the lead role in the process." It also promises to correct the boil water advisories in First Nations communities and to remove the two per cent funding cap on Indigenous post-secondary education.

Liberal Party of Canada

Its 2019 election platform promises to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve by 2021 and ensure access to quality, culturally relevant health care and mental health services. It also pledges to address all major infrastructure needs and ensure that Indigenous communities that rely on diesel are powered by clean energy by 2030.

The party promises to implement UNDRIP in the first year of a new mandate. It also promises to implement two pieces of legislation passed earlier this year, the Indigenous child welfare act and the Indigenous languages act, "with long-term, predictable, and sufficient funding." It commits to "co-developing and implementing a distinctions-based national action plan to implement the [MMIWG inquiry] report's Calls to Justice."

It pledges to create a new national benefits-sharing framework to ensure Indigenous communities directly benefit from major resource projects in their territories and to set a target to have at least five per cent of federal contracts awarded to businesses led by Indigenous people.

New Democratic Party

Its 2019 election platform promises that a New Democratic government would fully implement UNDRIP and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 calls to action and work with Indigenous Peoples to co-develop a national action plan for reconciliation. It also promises to implement the calls for justice of the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.  

The party's pledges also include lifting all drinking water advisories by 2021 and improving access to mental health and addiction treatment services — including "an evidence-based action plan to prevent suicide backed by dedicated federal resources." It promises to build a treatment centre for residents of Grassy Narrows affected by long-term mercury exposure and compensate families affected by mercury poisoning.

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