Aboriginal rights bill rejection tarnishes our rep: critic

Nov 15, 2006
By KATHLEEN HARRIS
SUN OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA -- Canada's global reputation as champion of human rights could be blackened by the Harper government's refusal to back a United Nations pact on aboriginals rights, warns the head of a UN group holding the Conservatives' feet to the fire.

A declaration to protect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in June, but Canada was one of just two countries out of 47 that voted against it. A final vote is expected at the UN General Assembly next month.

"Canada's reputation as a human rights defender is really going to be tarnished significantly if it doesn't adopt this declaration," said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, chairman of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

"Canada has a record of adopting the human rights instruments that come in to the UN General Assembly, and this is the first time it will be voting against an international human rights instrument.

"That is not a good thing for Canada's reputation internationally."

Craig Benjamin, a campaigner for Amnesty International Canada, said Canada is reneging on a declaration it helped author.

The document is meant to give guidance, but is not legally binding, he said.

"Claims that the declaration could be harmful to Canadian interests are very dubious, and we begin to wonder if there are other motivations," he said.

But Deirdra McCracken, press secretary for Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice, said the draft declaration is not acceptable because it is ambiguous and could be open to "competing interpretations" with domestic law.

"This has nothing to do with political stripe. It really is based on Canadian laws and the Constitution and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms," she said.

Liberal MP and Indian Affairs critic Anita Neville called the government's stand "shameful" and a "very sad" reflection on its commitment to Aboriginal Peoples.