OTTAWA— NDP Indigenous Affairs Critic Leah Gazan joined Senator PJ Prosper and BC-based Justice for Girls Vice President Zoe Craig-Sparrow at a press conference Thursday demanding the Liberal government immediately pass Bill S-2 as amended in the Senate before the House of Commons adjourns for the summer.

Seeking to correct inequities in the Indian Act surrounding registration and status recognition, the bill was amended to end the ‘second generation cut-off’ thanks to amendments introduced by Senator Prosper by the recommendation of First Nations. Currently, the second-generation cutoff entails that after two generations of First Nations parenting with a non-status person, their children’s status is denied under the Indian Act.

According to Gazan, the Liberal government’s delays in passing Bill S-2 as amended reflect a broader trend of Indigenous rights violations.

“The government has an urgent duty to end discrimination in the Indian Act through Bill S-2, and yet we see a stark contrast between their delay tactics on this bill and their bulldozing over the parliamentary process and their duty to consult in bills violating Indigenous rights, like Bill C-5. I uplift the voices of First Nations refusing to accept ongoing discrimination and demanding the government pass Bill S-2 before summer adjournment,” said Gazan.

Senator Prosper added that, “Ending the second-generation cutoff remains my highest priority. First Nations leaders, organizations and grassroots members have been clear: end the delays and pass Bill S-2 as amended now.”

“If our Government and our Prime Minister actually respect human rights and international law and don’t want the legislated extinction and forced assimilation of First Nations— then they should stop wasting time and pass Bill S-2 as amended by the Senate before the House rises for the summer. It’s high time for an end to sex and race discrimination in the Indian Act, and that starts with INAN voting to conclude its study of S-2 on Tuesday,” added Craig-Sparrow.