NDP Indigenous affairs critic Leah Gazan is urging the Liberal government to respect the ruling of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal and end the genocide against Indigenous peoples.

OTTAWA –

Following a ruling by the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal concluding that the current policies of the Government of Canada constitute an ongoing genocide against Indigenous peoples, MP Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre) is demanding explanations from the Liberal government.

The Tribunal, an international body that investigates human rights violations, issued this interim ruling on Friday after hearing testimony last week from residential school survivors, their families, and members of Indigenous communities. The witnesses described the horrific abuse suffered by the students and the government's persistent failure to protect the health and well-being of the survivors and their families.

In a letter to Premier Carney and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty, Ms. Gazan denounced the Liberals' recent budget cuts to Indigenous programs. She wrote: "In light of the tribunal's findings, I ask you to explain how the government intends to reconcile these funding reductions with its stated commitment to reconciliation and Indigenous human rights."

Ms. Gazan reminded Prime Minister Carney and Minister Alty that in 2023, the House of Commons unanimously adopted her motion declaring that the events that took place in residential schools constituted an act of genocide.

"The legacy of residential schools is not over. Canada must not shirk its responsibilities. It must fully support the work necessary to advance justice, healing, and self-determination for Indigenous peoples."