WINNIPEG - Manitoba's Liberal leader says her government would set aside a certain number of seats in the legislature for indigenous people, but she wouldn't make that guarantee for the cabinet table.
Rana Bokhari said her party, if elected April 19, would work towards electoral reform that would see indigenous people get 10 per cent - or roughly six - of the legislature's 57 seats. She couldn't say how exactly they would be elected to those seats, but added that would be decided after extensive consultation.
She pointed to New Zealand, where Maori have seats in Parliament determined by Maori numbers on the electoral list.
"This is about moving forward with our indigenous communities. It's about partnership," Bokhari said Thursday. "That's why, as they make 15 per cent of our population, they will receive those seats."
Bokhari said it's important to have indigenous people at the table, but wouldn't commit to having aboriginal parity in her cabinet.
"Right now, this is about our indigenous population having 10 per cent of those seats," Bokhari said. "I want gender parity. I want all these things, but right now my focus is to make sure that proportion of the population is represented."
She couldn't say exactly how the party would encourage indigenous people to run in an election.
The Liberals have already promised to bring in proportional representation if they are elected. Bokhari said a referendum would not be necessary for either electoral change.
The party had one seat in the legislature when the election was called. It says it has 10 First Nations candidates and three Metis running. The NDP has seven while the Progressive Conservatives have five.
The NDP said in a statement it is "open to the idea of electoral reform" but "any changes would be put to the people of Manitoba."
The Conservatives did not respond to requests for comment on the Liberal proposal.
They spent Thursday talking about literacy and promising to develop a program to ensure kids could read at or above national levels by Grade 3. Leader Brian Pallister said the $7-million program would include a beefed-up curriculum with specific literacy goals, as well as reading assessment teams to help struggling students.
NDP Leader Greg Selinger was in the northern part of the province where he announced his party would boost incentives for mineral exploration. Later Thursday, he promised the New Democrats would create 1,000 more beds in personal care homes for seniors, as well as add new hospice beds and improve home-care hours.
