Quebec City’s decision to brush aside a recommendation from the Viens Commission on placement times for young Aboriginal people is part of a history of “colonization” and “assimilation”, says the Commission de la santé et des First Nations of Quebec and Labrador social services (FNQLHSSC).
“The law is supposed to reflect that youth protection is managed by First Nations, for First Nations. I do not believe that the decision taken by [le ministre Lionel] Carmant does. It’s misleading, ”said the Aboriginal organization’s social services manager, Richard Gray, on Friday morning.
On Thursday, the Minister for Health and Social Services again refused to reopen an article of his youth protection reform bill which should allow First Nations and Inuit to circumvent maximum placement deadlines, provided that a “family council” is set up. According to various Aboriginal groups, the measure misses the mark, among other things because it proposes a condition that is inapplicable to all Aboriginal nations.
The family council put forward by Quebec “is not a widespread practice in all nations and communities in Quebec,” argued Mr. Gray in a letter to Minister Carmant this week. Inside the missive, he invites the elected official to comply word for word with the call to action nº 108 of the Commission of Inquiry on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Quebec (Commission Viens) , which proposes the abolition of time limits for placement in the communities, without conditions.
“We are not surprised, agreed Mr. Gray in an interview with The duty, friday. We are always reluctant to participate in this kind of process [législatif] because our arguments never work. »
Three rejections in ten days
By rejecting the FNQLHSSC’s arguments on Thursday, Minister Carmant became the third minister in François Legault’s government in ten days to say no to a recommendation in the Viens report. “It’s three slaps in one week,” protested PQ MP Véronique Hivon after studying Bill 15 on Thursday.
“We would like to further erode the confidence of the Aboriginal nations that we would not act otherwise,” she added.
On Thursday, Québec solidaire MP Sol Zanetti repeatedly urged the minister to reopen this section of the legislative text, without success. “There is really a gap between what was recommended [la commission] Come on and what is in the bill in relation to Indigenous sovereignty,” he pointed out.
Minister Carmant’s office did not respond to our questions on the maximum placement times. “I do not agree to reopen the chapter”, he contented himself with saying in a committee meeting on Thursday afternoon. Monday, he had maintained that “it is a note which does not depend only on me”.
“Assimilation”
Richard Gray deplores the government’s attitude regarding the protection of Aboriginal youth. By appealing federal law C-92, supposed to allow indigenous communities to detach themselves from the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse (DPJ), Quebec is displaying its colors, he said.
“They have the impression that the protection of young people is their jurisdiction. They don’t accept that First Nations have these inherent rights, Gray said. It’s colonization, it’s assimilation. And it’s always been tough. »
Bill 15 to reform the DPJ will be analyzed again next week. Québec solidaire and the Parti Québécois hope to be able to convince the minister to change his tune.