June 9, 2015
OTTAWA – An aboriginal child welfare advocate says she has been vindicated by a recent ruling from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which found a government official “retaliated” against her six years ago.
The tribunal sided with Cindy Blackstock, president of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. It ordered the Department of Aboriginal Affairs to pay Blackstock $20,000 for pain and suffering and the behaviour of David McArthur, former special assistant to then-minister Chuck Strahl.
McArthur is now chief of staff to Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford
The decision zeroed in on McArthur.
“There is no doubt that the respondent’s actions had a wilful and reckless nature,” the ruling said. “Dr. Blackstock was the only individual excluded from the meeting, which supports her contention that she was singled out.”