Ottawa will appoint commissioner to oversee treaties with Indigenous Peoples: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday his government is planning to create a new agent of Parliament to oversee modern treaty implementation.

He said the new commissioner will ensure government is held to account on agreements, regardless of who is in power in Ottawa.

He spoke to delegates at a leaders' forum for self-governing Indigenous governments in Gatineau, Que.

The government is planning to wrap up consultations on the role by late June, table legislation after that and budget $10.6 million over four years to support the commissioner's work.

Chief Robert Louie of Westbank First Nation spoke alongside Trudeau at the morning event.

He said the move is an important step forward in renewing Crown-Indigenous relations.