MPP Gélinas calls on government to strike a committee promoting indigenous health rights

NDP MPP France Gélinas has tabled a Private Member’s Motion calling on the government to strike an advisory committee to help incorporate health-related calls-to-action from the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Report into provincial legislation.

She says if the committee is struck, it would have MPPs work collaboratively with indigenous stakeholders in healthcare across Ontario, including childcare workers, healers and Elders.

Gelinas says disparities between indigenous Canadians and non-indigenous Canadians continue to persist citing a 2016 report by the Chief Public Health officer of Canada that indigenous populations in Canada have lower life expectancies at birth compared to non-indigenous Canadians.

She adds Statistics Canada reports that 63% of First Nations people living off-reserve had been diagnosed with at least one chronic illness, compared to 49% of non-indigenous Canadians.

She stresses the mandate of this committee would require members to systematically consider Calls-to-Action and provide detailed recommendations to the government and the Minister of Health to integrate those recommendations into provincial policies, regulations, and programming in a culturally appropriate way.