Perry Bellegarde to Liberal government: Talk first, act later – Macleans

December 6, 2015

The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations says he wants Trudeau to consult with First Nations more broadly before ambitious plans

Even as Justin Trudeau makes acting on First Nations’ issues a priority for his new government, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations has a surprising warning for him: talk first, act later.

Perry Bellegarde says he wants the new Prime Minister to consult with First Nations more broadly before he embarks on his ambitious agenda that was outlined in the Speech From the Throne on Friday. That agenda includes launching an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

“There has to be a pre-consultation phase and that’s what they are embarking on,” National Chief Bellegarde said in an interview on “Everything is Political” on SiriusXM. “You want to get the terms of reference and authorities and powers of that commission proper. You need to hear from the families and that takes time,” he said.

Bellegarde wants this pre-consultation phase to begin now, but the actual national inquiry to start on April 1, 2016.

Read More: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/perry-bellegarde-to-liberal-government-talk-first-act-later/