Canada allocates $ 31,000 million for discriminated tribal children | World | DW

Canada set aside $ 40,000 million ($ 31,000 million) this Tuesday (12/14/2021) to pay compensation to indigenous children in foster homes as a result of a faster-than-expected economic recovery after financial restructuring. Infectious recession.

The money was set aside to settle a case in which the government was found to have provided less services to tribal children compared to services for non-tribal children.

Finance Minister Christiaan Freeland announced that half of the funds would be used to compensate children and their families, and the other half to reform the system.

“We know we need to pay our historic debt to the tribal people and we must act to ensure that these injustices do not happen again,” he said in his speech.

In 2019, a court ordered the state to pay C $ 40,000 for each child separated from his family and sent to foster homes outside their tribal community.

Ottawa asked the Federal Court of Appeals in September to overturn the ruling, while it sought to resolve it through negotiations. Those talks are still going on.

In that context, more than 1,300 unidentified graves were found in former tribal boarding schools where many students were suffering from malnutrition and abuse, highlighting the drive for reconciliation with Canada’s 1.7 million indigenous people.

“Money is not justice”

“Money does not mean justice,” said Roseanne Archibald, national chairman of the First Nations Legislative Assembly. “However, it does indicate that we are on the path to healing.”

In the financial adjustment, Freeland underscored the declining relief to the epidemic, noting that “Canada has largely recovered from the economic damage caused by the Covit-19 and is poised for strong growth in the coming months.”

The government proposes to reduce the spread of the virus, improve indoor ventilation, introduce sick leave pay, finance and tax credit to workers, and focus on the most vulnerable sectors and the fight against Omigron variation.

Parliament has not yet decided on the new payments.

This year’s deficit is projected to fall to C $ 327.7 billion from the April budget forecast, while national debt is projected to reach C $ 1.048.7 billion or C $ 47. 6% of GDP.

Growth is also expected to be 4.6% lower.

mg (afp, Europa Press)