IYR Explains: Canada’s Major Federal Political Parties

Disclaimer: Campaign platforms for the 2025 elections haven’t been released, so this is an overview of past commitments up to March 2025.  We appreciate the range of opinions that exist on voting and respect that many Indigenous community members believe that voting validates this system, undermines Indigenous sovereignty and traditional governance systems, and instead choose not to exercise their right to vote.

Major Federal Political Parties At A Glance

The Liberal Party’s commitments and stances on Indigenous rights

Liberal Party Leader – Mark Carney (2025 – Present)

• In the 2024 Budget, the liberals committed about $9 billion overall to Indigenous communities, including money for child and family services reform, education, healthcare, mental health, and housing.

The Conservative Party’s commitments and stances on Indigenous rights

Conservative Party Leader – Pierre Poilievre (2022 – Present)

• During the 2021 election, then-party leader Erin O’Toole pledged to make progress on all of the TRC Calls to action and to fund an investigation of all former residential schools while allocating resources to communities to honour victims and survivors of residential schools.

The New Democratic Party’s commitments and stances on Indigenous rights

NPD Party Leader – Jagmeet Singh (2017 – Present)

• The NDP commits to implementing the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry. In addition, the NDP played a central role in advocating for the Red Dress Alert System, which was part of the 2024 Budget developed under the Liberal-NDP Supply and Confidence Agreement..

The Bloc Quebécois’ commitments and stances on Indigenous rights

Yves-François Blanchet (2019 – Present)

• The BQ’s 2021 platform discusses its commitment to maintaining nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous communities, supporting their rights to self-determination,  working towards the abolition of the Indian Act, and applying UNDRIP.
  • The BQ platform does not address Indigenous-specific matters relating to MMIWG2S+, child welfare, education, housing, healthcare or anti-Indigenous racism

The Green Party’s commitments and stances on Indigenous rights

Green Party Co-Leaders – Elizabeth May (2022 – Present) & Jonathan Pedneault (2025 – Present)

• The Green Party advocates for meaningful action to address the MMIWG2S+ crisis, and commits to dismantling systemic racism in Canadian institutions by fully implementing all Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as, pledge to fund the Missing Children and Unmarked Burials Project

Check out the full IYR Explains below for a detailed breakdown of the parties’ commitments and stances!

Next Steps

• As we near Election 2025, CIPR will continue to produce content that ensures Indigenous youth have all the information they need to cast their vote in an informed way, if they so choose!
• Keep an eye on our online spaces, where we will keep you updated on important Election 2025 news like what the parties are promising this time around!
• To check if you are registered to vote ahead of time, you can go to electionscanada.ca!

Further Reading

• Calls to Action, Indigenous Watchdog (n.d)
• Current Members of Parliament, House of Commons, (2025)
• Registered Political Parties and Parties Eligible for Registration, Elections Canada (2025)
• Canada’s 2021 Federal Election Live Results, The Globe and Mail (2021)
• Majority and Minority Governments, Parliament of Canada (n.d.)
• Scorecard: Where do the Federal Parties Stand on Indigenous Women’s Issues?, Native Women’s Association of Canada (2021)
• Shannen’s Dream, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (2025)
• What is the First Nations Land Management Act?, JFK Law (2015)
• What the federal party leaders say about reconciliation, Cabin Radio (2021)
• What the parties are promising this election about missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, CBC News (2019)
• United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, United Nations (2007)