A victory for six Wolastoqey First Nations who will continue to have tax revenue sharing agreements with the province until at least January 31, 2023.
The case was scheduled to be heard in court on October 15th but the Higgs government reversed course this week after the First Nations say the province tried and failed to get the hearing postponed until next year.
The First Nations commenced an application in the Court of Queen’s Bench to prevent the early cancellation of the agreements after the Higgs government abruptly announced in April it would cancel them.
Chief Patricia Bernard of the Madawaska First Nation says the revenue helps fund several key services in communities.
“This includes significant business initiatives as well as basic social aid and housing needs for struggling communities. Vulnerable people are the ones that will be hurt if these agreements are not honoured and extended.
“This early cancellation is just the latest in this government’s efforts to undermine these agreements which were entered into to advance reconciliation and to help make up for the gaps in standards for people living on and off reserve.”
Bernard says the First Nations are open to negotiating a new agreement but so far there has been no word from the provincial government.
The tax agreements date back to the 1990s and the latest one signed in 2017 was supposed to be a ten-year deal.
