By Andrew Thomson | UPDATED 4:01pmET
First Nations delegates hold news conference in Rome following meeting with Pope Francis
Assembly of First Nations (AFN) delegates speak with reporters in Rome, Italy, following their meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. They are joined by representatives from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who also attended the meeting.
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit delegations that include elders, knowledge keepers, and residential school survivors are participating in a series of meetings with the Pope this week as part of an effort to secure a papal apology for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system.
“We heard the Holy Father say to us very clearly: ‘The Church is with you’. And that’s an incredibly important statement. Because the next thing we will hear is ‘I am sorry’. I am absolutely convinced of that,” says former AFN national chief Phil Fontaine after Vatican meeting. pic.twitter.com/1vTrhO5T5u
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) March 31, 2022
Watch the full news conference:
In the House
The Conservatives have an opposition day in the House of Commons, with a motion on next week's federal budget:
That, given that,
(i) excessive government spending has increased the deficit, the national debt, and fuelled inflation to its highest level in 31 years,
(ii) taxes on Canadians continue to increase, from the carbon tax to escalator taxes to Canada Pension Plan premiums,
(iii) the government refuses to provide relief to Canadians by temporarily reducing the Goods and Services Tax on gasoline and diesel,
the House call on the government to present a federal budget rooted in fiscal responsibility, with no new taxes, a path to balance, and a meaningful fiscal anchor.
Watch Bloc Québécois Yves-François Blanchet speak on the budget:
Watch today's question period:
Watch Wednesday's PrimeTime Politics: Debating Budget Priorities
Peter Van Dusen looks ahead to next week’s federal budget with MPs Rachel Bendayan (Liberal), Ed Fast (Conservative), and Daniel Blaikie (NDP), along with Goldy Hyder of the Business Council of Canada.
Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian parliamentarian and leader of the Golos party, joins us from Kyiv to discuss the latest on Russia’s invasion and the West’s response.
Today in Politics Podcast: Mark Sutcliffe and Kristy Kirkup
Jonathan Vance avoids a criminal record, after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice; The government defends its decision not to offer all Ukrainians coming to Canada the same supports as typical refugees; And the opposition lays out its priorities for the coming federal budget.
