Green Party condemns delay in paying residential schools victims

OTTAWA – The Green Party says that the federal government should stop making excuses for the holdup in compensating the victims of Indian residential schools and take urgent action to ensure that cheques are sent out without further delay.

“After all the years of waiting for a settlement to be reached, now to impose a further wait because of a bureaucratic breakdown is unconscionable,” said Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

The government has admitted that it was unprepared for the 71,000 claims that have been received under the $1.9 billion compensation deal that came into effect September 19. “There are an estimated 80,000 people who are eligible for compensation,” said Ms. May. “Why is 70,000 applications such a big surprise?”

Recipients will not be paid interest on the delay in the payments, which include $10,000 for each victim for the first year they spent in the residential school system and $3,000 for each additional year. A separate package for survivors of sexual and physical abuse provides for payments ranging from $5,000 to $275,000.

Green Party aboriginal affairs critic Lorraine Rekmans said that the government has a responsibility to act in a timely manner. “It is a sad fact that many of the residential schools victims waiting for payment are elderly or sick,” she said. “They might never receive the money to which they are entitled because of the government’s inability to deal with this file.

“There can be no excuses,” she said. “But as we have seen with numerous other aboriginal claims, the government is unable or unwilling to treat this file with the urgency and focused attention it deserves.”