Leaders find Poilevre speech lacking

Tory leader accused of ignoring pressing social issues facing communities

- JOY SPEARCHIEF-MORRIS

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre chats with National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak after speaking to the Assembly of First Nations Thursday in Montreal. Some leaders said his speech failed to mention murdered Indigenous women and girls as well as Indigenous rights.

Some First Nations leaders sharply chastised Pierre Poilievre on Thursday after they said his first speech to the Assembly of First Nations’ annual general assembly ignored the pressing social issues facing their communities.

Speaking to more than 330 First Nations chiefs and representatives at the gathering in Montreal, the Conservative party leader mapped out how a federal government led by him would address Indigenous issues through his “Common Sense Conservative” agenda.

But Poilievre’s speech was met with anger and disappointment by those who said it failed to mention missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, inherent Indigenous rights, the climate crisis, residential school survivors and whether he would support a proposed $47.8-billion child welfare settlement.