Aboriginal income assistance cuts hit courts

HALIFAX — The future of income assistance for Atlantic Canada’s aboriginals now rests in the hands of a judge. Legal teams for the government and First Nations communities spent the last two days presenting their cases at a judicial review.

The review was granted earlier this year and is expected to resolve whether a proposed cut to on-reserve income assistance is a fair policy decision.

The federal government hopes to bring on-reserve income assistance in line with provincial income assistance. While, First Nation members argue they can’t apply for the same suite of other provincial services available to those living off-reserve, making the proposed level of support woefully inadequate.

“I think you’ll see a lot of our families having to give up their children because they can’t feed them,” says Chief Brenda  Perley from Topique First Nation.

“It’s devastating to us and that’s why we’re here fighting,” she said. “We’re here to say that this will be a devastation to each First Nation.”

The proposed changes will make severe cuts to basic allowances for food, shelter, utilities to the extent that they would not be able to do one of those things, says Naiomi Metallic, lawyer for the First Nations members.

“They would have to choose to pay their shelter instead of eat,” says Metallic.

Crown counsel did not wish to speak before the judge’s ruling.

Late Thursday, Global News received an email statement from Michelle Perron, a spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

“As this case is before the courts,” she wrote “we cannot comment on the specifics of this case but we believe that Income Assistance rates should be consistent with the rates for all other individuals in their respective jurisdiction.”

The judge is reviewing the case and could present his ruling anytime in the coming months.