Attawapiskat First Nation

First Nation

Fort Albany

First Nation

Moose Cree First Nation

New Post First Nation

Chapleau Cree First Nation

Missanabie Cree First Nation

MUSHKEGOWUKCOUNCIL 17TH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

Barb Chum, Delegate Moose Cree First Nation

Gloria Han·is, Delegate Missanabie Cree First Nation

ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS

Certified copy of a Resolution passed on September 11, 2002

RESOLUTION NO. 2002-09-15

NATIONAL CHILD TAX BENEFITS

WHEREAS all parents in Canada are entitled to receive the National Child Tax Benefit for each child w1der the age of eighteen, and;

WHEREAS due to Ontario's policy of deducting the child tax benefit amount from social assistance payments, parents and children on social assistance do not enjoy the same benefit as the rest of Canada, and;

WHEREAS Ontario continues to unilaterally and arbitrarily make cuts to social assistance causing more hardship on social assistance recipients, and;

WHEREAS Mushkegowuk families and single parent families in particular, struggle to meet the basic needs of their families and especially so in the remote communities where the cost of living is extremely high and disproportionate to the rest of the province and the country, and;

WHEREAS child tax benefits deducted from social assistance recipients are pooled into a pot of money to which First Nations may apply to provide programs for children in their communities, and;

September 12, 2002

Missanabie, Ontario

WHEREAS families on social assistance do not necessarily benefit directly from these programs which are also offered to families who are not on social assistance;

Resolution No. 2002-09-15, Page 2

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mushkegowuk Chiefs in Assembly recognize the unique hardships and struggles endured by Mushkegowuk families on social assistance and resolves that Mushkegowuk families are entitled to retain the national child tax benefit without any deduction, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mushkegowuk Chiefs in Assembly direct the Mushkegowuk Executive to do all work necessary to ensure that Mushkegowuk families and children retain the child tax benefit to which they are entitled.