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Research Paper

Aboriginal Representation in Government:
A Comparative Examination

This paper briefly summarizes three options that have been recommended in Canada to improve Aboriginal representation at the federal level: the creation of exclusively Aboriginal electoral districts, the creation of an advisory third House at the federal level, composed of representatives from each First Nation, and the creation of a new province that would initially be composed of existing reservation land. The paper also examines the experiences in other jurisdictions that have attempted to address issues of Aboriginal representation, specifically New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Norway and the state of Maine. These examples demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed options, and offer important lessons for the Canadian context. Based on these comparisons, the paper concludes that the most realistic proposals for Canada are the creation of Aboriginal electoral districts or a separate Aboriginal parliament. Although neither of these options will completely eliminate the problem of Aboriginal under-representation in government, both possess significant potential to create change. A separate parliament for Aboriginals would allow a significant measure of representation, while recognizing the heterogeneity on the Aboriginal population. Likewise, Aboriginal electoral districts would guarantee an immediate increase in the number of Aboriginal representatives in the House of Commons. The implementation of either of these approaches, coupled with extensive consultation of Aboriginal groups, would send an important message to the Aboriginal peoples of Canada that the federal government is prepared to implement changes to deal with their ongoing concerns.