NDP decry 'shameful' health-care services for First Nations

NEWS RELEASE

CAROL HUGHES, MP

************************* New Democrats demand equal services for First Nations communities OTTAWA - Today, New Democrat MPs Niki Ashton (Churchill), Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan) and Carol Hughes (Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing)[shown] held a joint press conference with Chief David Harper of the Garden Hills First Nation, to address the shameful inequity of health-care facing this country’s First Nations children.

“An infant from the Garden Hill First Nation in my riding was medevaced to Winnipeg for emergency treatment - sadly, he died,” said Ashton, the rural and community development critic for the New Democrats. “We have a responsibility to ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again.”

A recent Health Canada report found that aboriginal children are dying at a rate four times higher than non-native children.

This is an issue that has been a priority for the New Democrats for years.

“Two years ago, Parliament adopted my motion on Jordan’s Principle, which is a child-first principle to deal with governmental jurisdictional disputes - it means governments must meet the needs of the child first and then figure out the jurisdictional dispute later,” said Aboriginal Affairs Critic Jean Crowder. “This government has stalled on its implementation of Jordan’s Principle and First Nations’ children are paying the price.”

New Democrats are pushing Stephen Harper’s Conservatives to implement Jordan’s Principal immediately.

"In a country like Canada, in the year 2009, death due to inadequate and inaccessible health care services is outrageous and must change," said Aboriginal Health Critic Carol Hughes.

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