Ottawa — The Conservative federal budget allocates a fraction of the money that would have gone to aboriginal people under the $5.1-billion deal signed by the previous Liberal government in Kelowna, B.C., last year, angering some native groups.
Under that deal, signed by the provinces and territories and representatives of five aboriginal organizations, native people would have seen about $800-million in spending on health care, housing and other initiatives this year.
But yesterday's budget promises just $150-million in 2006-2007, and $300-million in 2007-2008, to go toward improving the quality of water and housing on reserves, as well as education "and socio-economic conditions for aboriginal women, children and families."
The budget also includes a $300-million fund, meant to be spent over three years, for provinces to improve housing for aboriginals living off reserve, and another $300-million fund for affordable housing in the North, which will also largely benefit native people, who make up about half of the population.
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Both funds, using legislation passed after the NDP agreed to prop up the previous minority Liberal government last year, depend on the 2005-06 surplus topping $2-billion. While in opposition, the Tories criticized the deal to spend the surplus on NDP priorities such as affordable housing and transit.
Clément Chartier, president of the Métis National Council, said the budget made the year-and-a-half of work that went into last summer's aboriginal summit pointless.
"I expected nothing, and there was nothing," Mr. Chartier said yesterday. "What was the point of doing a lot of work if governments aren't prepared to live up to the commitments of a previous government?"
Phil Fontaine, the Assembly of First Nations national chief, said he is disappointed that native needs have been "sacrificed" in the first Conservative budget.
"It will not be a better place for first nations because we're going to be left struggling," he said.
Mr. Fontaine said he is reluctant to join another process now that Kelowna has not produced results.
Patrick Brazeau, national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, which represents native people who live off reserve, praised the announcement of money for off-reserve housing.
"I wouldn't say the Kelowna deal is dead. We see this as a down payment on Kelowna," he said.
Jose Kusugak, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which represents Canada's Inuit, said despite the lack of money and focus in the budget, this document had more for his people than any he had seen in recent years, citing the housing money for the North.
"This is the most we've gotten at the federal budget."
According to the budget documents, the government spends $9.1-billion each year on programs for aboriginal people.
The additional $450-million over two years will be spent on improving "education outcomes," improving access to clean drinking water and building and renovating housing on reserves.
The budget also sets aside $2.2-billion for compensation for native people who suffered abuses in the residential-school system.
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