PRESS RELEASE
Liberal Party Plan For First Nation Education and Opportunity
Sault Ste. Marie – This afternoon in Saskatoon the Liberal Party of Canada announced a commitment to First Nations. This commitment provides for high quality education and economic opportunity, all while respecting the contribution of Indigenous Peoples and providing substantial new funding to support the ability for First Nations to promote, preserve and enhance their language and culture.
“This type of commitment is long overdue”, says Terry Sheehan, Liberal Candidate in Sault Ste. Marie. Sheehan goes on to say, “Everyone deserves the same opportunity and for years and years, Canada’s First Nations have not been provided that equality of opportunity. This plan is a sincere and substantive effort to begin to remedy that.”
The renewed partnership will include:
- An initial, immediate new investment of $515 million per year in core annual funding for First Nations K-12 education, rising to over $750 million per year by the end of our first mandate;
- An immediate new investment of $500 million over the next three years for First Nations education infrastructure; and
- $50 million in additional annual support to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), which provides financial assistance to Indigenous students who attend post-secondary education.
“Mr. Trudeau and the Liberal Party of Canada believe in First Nations control of First Nations education, and this nation to nation approach, working as partners, is the most respectful, most productive and meaningful way for improving the hope and sense of possibility of the First Nations people,” said Sheehan. “Real change is necessary to close the gaps that First Nation students are facing and to develop opportunities for real economic improvement for Indigenous People. I pledge to work with fellow leaders in the First Nations communities in our area, to make sure we improve the lives of all of us, side by side”.
