Evidence of meeting #12 for Procedure and House Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was pandemic.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
It's hard to say, because the census questions have not been accurate. We've actually just reached an agreement with the chief statistician on how to ask the question about who is or who is not a Métis.
Roughly speaking, we're 100,000 in Manitoba, 75,000 in Saskatchewan, close to 100,000 in Alberta and about 75,000 in British Columbia. There are some Métis in the Northwest Territories and there are Métis in northwestern Ontario who are part of the historic Métis nation.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Would you say your population is aging, as in older, or is there—
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
It has characteristics similar to the other indigenous populations. It's a little bit older, but half of them are under 24.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Are there whole Métis communities who live together, similar to other first nations, or is most of population base spread throughout those provinces?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
The hinterland and boreal forests will have majority Métis communities, and some southern parts of the prairies, but by and large it's very urban. About 60% of the population is living in the major urban centres.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
I'm going to shift away from our elections discussion to talk a little bit about a topic you brought up. I am a special adviser on mental health, to our leader, and I want to know whether the Métis nation is experiencing the same mental health challenges other first nations are seeing in terms of suicide epidemics.
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
Well, there are mental challenges for sure. I wouldn't call them suicide epidemics, although we've had some. We operate some of the child and family services in the prairies, so we see how this is impacting on a daily basis. Our workers are raising that. We're in the process of developing a strategy on that. We would be happy to share it with you once we're done.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
In your view, how important is giving Métis communities access to in-person polling locations to vote within the context of a pandemic election?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
We need more ballot boxes. We need to get them closer to the Métis population.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Has the Métis nation taken the same steps as other first nations communities in banning outsiders from coming into their communities?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
They did a little bit in northern Saskatchewan. There was an agreement with first nations and Métis in northern Saskatchewan to limit the number of people going north.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. LeClair, you said that there are 80 different communities that the Métis nation are spread throughout?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
That's just in Manitoba.
We're spread throughout the prairies. We were pushed off the lands in Manitoba and moved right up through to the Northwest Territories and Peace River. We went wherever the work was and that's why we're spread throughout.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. LeClair, have you met with our leader, Erin O'Toole, with respect to your comments?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
No, but we did send him a letter, which we haven't received an answer to.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
I will endeavour to advocate on your behalf to get—
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
Our hope is that it was just somebody putting something together quickly and...we've turned the page a little bit at the national level on what the responsibilities are by the federal government for the Métis nation.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Understood.
A few weeks ago, the Prime Minister appeared to walk back on the government's promise to end boil water advisories by March 21. In the context of a pandemic election—with the numbers going up both in Manitoba and the provinces right across our country—how confident are you that we could host a pandemic election, given the increasing numbers?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
It's not going in the right direction at the moment, as everybody knows. I think all the parties just need to make sure that it's going to be safe to hold the election if it's done. You guys play a big role in that.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
That's why we're here today and that's why your testimony is so important.
Madame Chair, how much more time do I have?
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
We know that voter turnout is an issue in regular elections. You've clearly brought forward some challenges in terms of communications.
What steps do you believe should be taken to ensure that voter turnout within our first nations, Métis and Inuit communities are strong?
Senior Advisor, Métis National Council
Our national organization and our governing members play a role in this. It's really important the better we are able to communicate what the approaches of all the parties are—for us to be able to communicate that to our citizens. That's why I'm saying that we want to make sure that anything your party leader says goes unfiltered to our people, so they can make the right choice for them.
Conservative
Liberal
