Clement Chartier, president of the Métis National Council, told a press conference in Winnipeg Thursday that the lives of his people would improve the most under another Paul Martin government. He said Métis votes should go to the Liberals.
The council sent questionnaires to all the parties, asking for their positions on various issues. Only the Liberals and the NDP responded, and Métis leaders like the Liberal responses better, Chartier said.
"We don't have any great expectations of meaningful progress with a Conservative government who in their policy doesn't even mention the Métis and didn't take the time to answer our letters, although we gave them a second deadline," he said.
David Chartrand, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, says a lot is at stake for his people in the election, including the very existence of the Métis nation.
"I can see that there's going to be a nightmare coming for the Métis people, and I think not only for us – many minorities are going to feel it," he said.
The national council also identified 33 ridings in Western Canada in which the Métis vote could play a significant role in determining the outcome of the election.
