Peggy Revell
A third all-candidates’ forum for the district has been scheduled for this Wednesday (April 27) at Rainy River First Nations in the hopes of increasing voter turnout among local First Nations’ people for the May 2 federal election.
“I think that as aboriginal people in this area, there’s a large number of aboriginal people that carry a vote that don’t ordinarily vote,” said Ashlee Cochrane of Rainy River First Nations, who has been working to organize the forum which gets underway at 4 p.m. at the community’s gymnasium.
There’s many reasons for this disengagement, Cochrane noted, but one of the top reasons is that “we just don’t know what’s going on.”
Hence why she set out to organize the forum and get aboriginal people interested in this election.
Cochrane said NDP incumbent John Rafferty and Liberal candidate Ken Boshcoff have confirmed their attendance while Conservative hopeful Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann has said she wants to attend pending her schedule.
Green Party candidate Ed Shields told Cochrane his attendance will be unlikely, citing fewer staff and resources than the other candidates.
“There will be a place at the table for all four of them if all four of them show up,” Cochrane said.
And it’s important that local First Nations’ people get out to the polls on May 2, she stressed.
“Whether you’re living on reserve or off-reserve, First Nations’ people, our issues belong to the federal government,” Cochrane noted.
“We’re not provincial jurisdiction,” she explained. “Anything education, housing, social services, all that kind of stuff is federal jurisdiction.
“The federal government makes all sorts of decisions that affect us,” she added. “And if we’re not going to be out there voting and getting our voice heard, then we’re just letting other people make decisions for us and not having our say.”
While the forum will focus on aboriginal issues, Cochrane said other issues hopefully will be raised, as well, noting aboriginal people face many of the same issues that other Canadians do.
“I think it’s important that us young people exercise that right to vote,” she remarked, pointing to CBC comedian Rick Mercer’s own call out for youth to vote since candidates and parties have focused on older people, middle working class, and the rich.
And yet there are all sorts of issues that youth should be concerned about—such as rising tuition costs—that are connected to the federal government, Cochrane said.
This is especially relevant to First Nations given more than half of Canada’s aboriginal population is under the age of 30, she noted.
Information on the voting process also will be available at the forum so people can become familiar with the process and know how they can cast their ballot.
The forum will begin with candidates taking questions from the floor.
For those who have questions, but do not feel comfortable asking them, there also will be papers set up so they can write their questions down.
The moderator then will ask the candidates on their behalf.
Having voted in every election she could since coming of age, Cochrane encouraged people to come out to the forum, and stressed the importance of everyone getting out to vote on May 2.
“I just tell people I don’t really care who you vote for,” she remarked.
“You can go out and vote for whoever you want—as long as you go out and vote.”
