Child welfare reform is in the hands of the AFN after deal voted down, minister says [Video]

Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu says it is up to the Assembly of First Nations to come back to the federal government with a clear message about how it wants to proceed after chiefs voted against a $47.8-billion child welfare reform agreement last week.

Hajdu says she is sure AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak is “listening very closely” to concerns chiefs have about how the AFN handled negotiations for that agreement.

Chiefs rejected the 10-year reform deal at a gathering in Calgary last week after many of them blasted the AFN and Canada for lacklustre consultations that resulted in a weak deal.

Hajdu says the government is waiting for the AFN to come back with a plan but says they’ll be looking at every option they can to make sure negotiations can continue.

Woodhouse Nepinak said last week that the deal was defeated by a group of people who …