Tory Indian Affairs Minister tries to revive predecessor’s plan
Back in 2001, Robert Nault was Jean Chretien’s pugnacious Indian Affairs minister. He tried to reform the lamentable way reserves are run by proposing legislation to force fair elections and financial accountability. Unconscionably, First Nations leaders fought the move, and Nault’s reforms died. Now, Chuck Strahl, the Tory Indian Affairs minister, is trying to partly revive Nault’s plan, this time through the back door of administrative changes. This editorial, from one of the cities most acutely aware of the plight of Aboriginal communities, applauds the effort.