NDP demands Indigenous Affairs Minister's resignation after Bill 5 fiasco

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, is calling on the Premier to demand the immediate resignation of Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, Greg Rickford, after his blatant failure to honour First Nations rights on the lead up to Bill 5.

“This Minister has done irreparable damage to the relationship between the province and First Nations.

“Minister Rickford had one job. To uphold free, prior, and informed consent. Instead, he rushed through legislation without proper consultation and ignored the voices of First Nations.

“Consultations don’t happen after a bill becomes a law. Instead of listening to rights holders, the Government decided that they knew what was ‘best’. Instead of real dialogue, they silenced dissent. Instead of working together, they’ve created chaos, uncertainty, and disarray.

“It’s simple. The Premier needs to take responsibility for the chaos his government has created, start re-building the trust that this government has broken, and fire Minister Rickford.”