NDP welcomes landmark decision in favour of Sixties Scoop survivors

New Democrat critic for Indigenous affairs, Romeo Saganash, made the following statement following the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decision in the Brown v. Canada case:

“After eight years of litigation, New Democrats welcome this landmark decision of the Superior Court of Justice in favour of the 16,000 Indigenous children in Ontario who were harmed by being placed in non-Indigenous homes from 1965 to 1984 under terms of a federal-provincial agreement.

As Justice Edward Belobaba rightly recognized, Canada failed to take reasonable steps to prevent these children who were placed with non-Indigenous families from losing their Indigenous culture and heritage.

New Democrats believe that the government had and always will have a fiduciary duty to protect Indigenous culture and languages. We were disappointed to see the liberal government deny this duty in court and continue Harper’s adversary legal tactics.

We will ensure that the government respect its promise to let the class action move forward so that we can finally move towards reconciliation. Sixties scoop survivors have waited long enough.”