Indigenous communities mobilize against Bill 32

By Marc Lalonde  Local Journalism Initiative A number of Indigenous groups around the province are putting their voices together against Bill 32, a new provincial cultural-safety bill aimed at making First Nations and Inuit users of the healthcare system more comfortable. The Assembly of First Nations Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), the Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan (CADM), Quebec Native Women (QNW), Joyce’s Principle Office (JPO) and the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission (FNQLHSSC) all spoke out against the bill. They said the bill’s creation, despite the government’s “good-faith” participation, doesn’t go far enough in protecting First Nations and Inuit healthcare system users. “Furthermore, it is deplorable that the government didn’t choose to do things differently: prior, free and informed consent in the context of…

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