Old political workhorses seek new aboriginal partnerships: Tim Harper – Toronto Star
If two former prime ministers in their 70s believe the plight of First Nations still deserve their efforts then they deserve an audience.
OTTAWA—In many ways, this was a moment of quintessential Canadian déjà vu.
There we all were again, sitting in the National Press Theatre. Joe Clark, Paul Martin and former Assembly of First Nations chief Ovide Mercredi, among others, decrying the misunderstanding, neglect and betrayal that has marked our country’s relationship with our First Nations.
“As you can see, I’m getting old,’’ said Mercredi, speaking for many.
The two former prime ministers are hardly kids, either. They’re not at the stage of life in which one usually contemplates starting over, but there they were, calling for a “new partnership” between Canada and our aboriginal population.
They call it Canadians for a New Partnership and my hyperactive inner cynic kept welling up, telling me I had heard it all before, had seen it all before and the last thing we needed was more dialogue and more process.
