QUESTION PERIOD — Crown-Indigenous Relations
Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
September 28, 2023
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
The survivors of St. Anne’s Residential School have spent years fighting to reopen the claims filed under the Independent Assessment Process, which was established to resolve claims of serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. However, the Government of Canada has spent millions to fight survivors in court and refuses to release documentation that could substantiate claims of abuse that were previously dismissed by adjudicators deciding compensation amounts.
In advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I ask: Will the Government of Canada end litigation against survivors of St. Anne’s Residential School and fully disclose all relevant documentation?
Thank you for your question; it underlines the fact that there is still a lot of work to be done on all sides. In that regard, I don’t know the answer to your question, but I will certainly bring that preoccupation — an important question — to the attention of the relevant minister.
