The President of the Huron Bruce New Democrats is calling on the riding’s Conservative MP to vote with them for better conditions in federally run aboriginal schools.
Willi Laurie is urging Conservative MP Ben Lobb to vote yes on Motion 202 — nicknamed Shannen’s Dream — which calls for the First Nations Schools to be run at equal quality of provincially run schools.
Laurie says the motion started with an Attawapiskat youth named Shannen, who started a letter writing campaign to get a better school in her community since the one there now was built on toxic waste.
Laurie says it’s 12 years later and despite promises from the Federal government, Attawapiskat still doesn’t have a suitable school.
The NDP motion is up for vote Monday, February 27th.
While Shannen Koostachin died in 2010 in a collision, her friend Chelsea Edwards of Attawapiskat is in Ottawa to witness Parliament vote on the NDP motion today.
Laurie says the per-student fee for federal First Nations Schools is much less than provincially and that money also comes directly out of money designated for the Band.
Laurie adds those funds should remain separate, over and above what the Federal government pays to the Band.
