TL;DR

In this IYR Explains, we will be breaking down the voting record of each major federal political party on bills that strongly impact Indigenous youth and their communities from roughly the last 40 years. Most of the bills we are highlighting are bills specific to Indigenous peoples and communities, while some are key bills that impact everyone – like ones related to childcare or pharmacare access.

Details

Disclaimer: The Canadian electoral system is inherently colonial and voting laws have historically been used to marginalize and exclude many communities, especially Indigenous, Black, and immigrant peoples. 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. We hope that this information helps youth navigate those conversations as they decide whether and who to vote for!

IYR is a non-partisan organization, and this content is meant solely for information sharing purposes.

At A Glance: Bill Voting By Major Federal Parties

Bill C-29 – National Council for Reconciliation Act (2022):  

Sponsor: Marc Miller (then-Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations), Liberal  

  • Date: Passed December 1, 2022, and achieved Royal Assent April 30, 2024.  
  • About the bill: The bill aimed to establish an independent National Council for Reconciliation to oversee the federal government’s progress on reconciliation and the 94 CTAs. 

Bill C-92 – Indigenous Child Welfare Act (2019): 

Sponsor: Seamus O’Reagan (then-Minister of Indigenous Services), Liberal  

  • Date: Passed April 11, 2019 and achieved Royal Assent on June 21, 2019.  
  • About the bill: The bill aims to recognize Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services. 

 Bill C-15 – UNDRIP Implementation Act (2021): 

Sponsor: David Lametti (then-Minister of Justice and Attorney General), Liberal  

  • Date: The bill passed May 25, 2021 and achieved Royal Assent June 21, 2021. 
  • About the bill: The bill aims to align Canadian law with UNDRIP.  

Bill C-262 – UNDRIP Implementation Act (2016): 

Sponsor: Romeo Saganash, NDP (Cree from Waswanipi, Quebec)  

  • Date: The bill was introduced in April 2016 but did not pass. 
  • About the bill: This was the first bill aiming to align Canadian law with UNDRIP, but the bill failed in the Senate due to opposition from some senators. 

Bill S-3 – Indian Act Amendment (2017)

Sponsor: Senator Peter Harder, Independent (Progressive Senate Group)  

  • Date: The bill passed December 4, 2017 and achieved Royal Assent on December 12, 2017. 
  • About the bill: The bill aimed to address sex-based inequities in the Indian Act.  In particular, the historical discrimination against women who lost their status.  Bill S-3 allowed women who lost their status before 1951 to regain it.  

Bill C-31 – Indian Act Amendment (1985):  

Sponsor: David Crombie (then-Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development), Conservative  

  • Date: The bill passed in April 1985. 
  • About the bill: The bill aimed to align the Indian Act with gender equality under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  It gave women who lost their status their right to have it back. It also created the concepts of 6(1) and 6(2) First Nations status.  

Bill C-45 – Jobs and Growth Act (2012):

Sponsor: Jim Flaherty (then-Minister of Finance), Conservative  

  • Date: The bill passed December 5, 2012 and achieved Royal Assent on December 14, 2012. 
  • About the bill: Bill C-45 was an omnibus bill, meaning it proposed to amend several Acts (more than 60). In changing these acts (including the Indian Act), it removed protections for most bodies of water and removed the need for federal environmental assessments for pipelines, logging and other industry.  

The bills outlined above are just a snapshot of past voting records on bills that affect Indigenous folks and their communities.  If you’re curious about how MPs and parties have voted on other bills, visit openparliament.ca or the Parliament website.

Check out the full IYR Explains below for a detailed breakdown of how major federal parties voted on Indigenous rights legislation! 

Next Steps

  • As we head into the 2025 federal Election, IYR will continue sharing information about the major federal political parties and their stances on Indigenous rights and issues impacting Indigenous youth.
  • Keep an eye on our online spaces, where we will keep you updated on important Election 2025 news related to Indigenous rights and sovereignty.

Further Reading

For More Information