MNO – 2025 Federal Election Bulletin

Press Release

April 23, 2025

The 2025 federal election will take place on April 28, 2025.

The MNO has put together a summary of everything you need to know in the lead up to the election so you are prepared to vote and are informed on what all the political parties have committed to on the issues that matter most to our citizens.

Help us raise a strong Métis voice from now to Election Day, to ensure the Government of Canada continues prioritizing the issues and policies that make life better for Métis citizens and communities in Ontario.

The MNO values the strong working relationship that has been built with federal governments over the past three decades, which have resulted in significant advancements in reconciliation between Canada, the Métis Nation, and the MNO specifically.

The MNO is working hard to make sure that all political parties and local candidates understand our Métis Priorities for the Next Federal Government, and that we are strongest when we work together.

But we can’t do it alone—we need your help to make Métis priorities heard!

Our Métis Priorities for the Next Federal Government:

Advancing Canada and MNO’s Government-to-Government Relationship.
Reconciliation and Addressing Outstanding Métis Claims.
The Continuation of the Permanent Bilateral Mechanism (PBM) for our Ongoing Collaboration with the Federal Government.
Co-Development and Co-Design of Federal Policy and Programs.

How You Can Help Raise Our Métis Voice

Together, we can have a strong Métis voice! Here’s how you can help us raise it:

Ask local candidates about how they will address our Métis Priorities for the Next Federal Government
Attend local debates and ask questions about our Métis Priorities for the Next Federal Government
Use social media to raise awareness about Ontario Métis Facts and encourage candidates to commit to our Métis Priorities for the Next Federal Government.
Connect with and attend your local MNO Community Council’s events, and stay informed on key election updates.

This election is a chance to make our Métis voices heard. Let’s stand together to ensure that Canada’s leaders commit to supporting Métis citizens now and into the future!

Stay engaged, stay informed, and make your Métis voice count!

Make sure you’re ready to vote and have your say in shaping Canada’s future! Here’s what you need to know:

Through the Online Voter Registration Service by April 22.
In-person at your local Elections Canada office by April 22.

Ways to Vote

Vote by Mail

Your completed voting kit must be received by Elections Canada by the close of polls on April 28 to be counted.

ELECTION DAY – April 28, 2025

Vote at your assigned polling station on election day, Monday, April 28. Bring your MNO Citizenship card to use as ID!

Accessible Voting Options

There are many services and tools available at polling places to help electors with disabilities vote, and election officers are trained to help. The services offered include:
- Assistance marking a ballot
- Sign language interpretation (must be requested in advance)
- Vouching
- Signature guides (if someone needs assistance signing their name)

For more details, visit Elections Canada.

Party Platforms:

Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)

The Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) platform entitled Canada Strong: Mark Carney’s Plan has the following commitments that relate to Métis and MNO priorities:

Work in full partnership with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis to advance and realize the rights of Indigenous Peoples through a distinctions-based approach.
Work in partnership on the implementation of treaties, land claim, and self-government agreements.
Move forward on the important work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and support Indigenous communities to uncover unmarked and undocumented graves and burial sites at residential schools.
Move forward on the implementation of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice and the National Action Plan.
Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the Action Plan.
Accelerate funding for access to post-secondary education so more First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students can go to school and invest in associated infrastructure.
Launch a new Indigenous Pathways to Prosperity Skills and Training Fund which will support partnerships between First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities and organizations, schools, training centres, and colleges to advance access to skills training.
Revitalize Indigenous languages by supporting community-driven projects that restore, protect, and promote this important part of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures and histories.
Build together with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities the critical infrastructure needed all across the country. Predictable funding cycles and getting priority setting closer to community needs is critical to increasing the pace of work and the effectiveness of infrastructure funding. This will include:
- Expanding the kinds of projects the Canada Infrastructure Bank can support to be more in line with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis priorities.
- Explore options for an Indigenous Infrastructure Bank to address access to capital.
- Working in partnership with Indigenous communities and Indigenous housing providers to directly support building housing including in urban, rural, and northern Indigenous communities.
Double First Nation, Inuit, and Métis capacity funding to contribute to major project assessments for more consistent, fair, and meaningful consultations.
Increase investments for Indigenous mental health, healing and wellness centres, and friendship centres.
Establish a new Indigenous Climate Readiness and Adaptation Fund and support Indigenous-led conservation initiatives to safeguard forests, waterways, oceans and wildlife and to bolster disaster response activities.
Work with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples to advance economic reconciliation, including reforms that enable Indigenous-led initiatives.
Continue to support Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care.
Continue the work on child welfare reform.
Expand culturally relevant services for Indigenous Veterans in consultation with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Prevent crime before it starts by extending the Building Safer Communities Fund, which will support Indigenous-led community safety priorities.
Work with First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities to ensure improved access to critical health care services.
Support affordable homebuilders by injecting $10 billion in low-cost financing and capital for homes that support middle- and low-income Canadians. This will include housing for Indigenous peoples.
Provide urgent and immediate support to address the overdose crisis by adding $500 million to the Emergency Treatment Fund to support municipalities, Indigenous Peoples, and community health care organizations to confront the toxic drug and overdose crisis and connect more people to treatment and vital services, faster.
Conserve nature in partnership with Indigenous Peoples by expanding the Indigenous Guardians Program to include 50 new Arctic Indigenous Guardians.
Expand the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion and increase the sectoral scope. This will enable a greater share in the benefits of natural resources and energy projects in Indigenous Peoples’ territories, on their own terms. And we will work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners to improve accessibility.
Work with project proponents, provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to do proactive remediation and rehabilitation work at project sites so projects move faster.
Invest in trade enabling infrastructure, to diversify our trade away from the United States, create new jobs and build one Canadian economy.
Get the government back into the business of homebuilding, while partnering with workers and industry, and cutting taxes for home buyers – so more Canadians can buy their first homes.

Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)

In their platform entitled Canada First For a Change, the CPC has the following commitments that relate to Métis and MNO priorities:

Work with Indigenous partners in a Nation-to-Nation relationship focusing on real outcomes, opportunity, and ownership. We will continue the Permanent Bilateral Mechanisms with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
Launch a Canadian Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to support measurable, community-led solutions, including offering loan guarantees for local Indigenous-led resource projects. This will also advance economic reconciliation by allowing Indigenous Peoples to access equity ownership in major resource projects.
Respect Indigenous governance and consultation by:
- Establishing a Nation-to-Nation consultation process for major legislation and projects directly impacting First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
- Supporting Indigenous languages and culture through community-led media and education.
Support housing and infrastructure for Indigenous communities by:
- Simplifying and unlocking federal funding programs for Indigenous housing and community development.
- Supporting Indigenous-designed housing programs that meet local needs and respect traditional cultural materials and design.
- Including Indigenous communities in national housing targets and infrastructure planning.
Work with Indigenous partners to process and sell our clean natural resources to get foreign countries off burning higher-emission fuels and fight climate change.
Provide $25 million in support for Indigenous language media.
Launch a Canada First Economic Action Plan, including cutting income taxes by 15 percent.
Implement a middle-class tax cut will save two-income families up to $825 a year.
Create a new One and Done rule for resource projects with one application, one environmental review, and a maximum one year waiting time.
Create a ‘Canada First’ National Energy Corridor to fast-track approvals for transmission lines, railways, pipelines, and other critical infrastructure across Canada in a pre-approved transport corridor.
Build 2.3 million homes over the next five years through initiatives including incentivizing municipalities to speed up permits, free up land, and cut housing taxes.
Axe the sales tax on new homes, saving families up to $65,000 on the purchase of a home and $3000 on yearly mortgage payments while spurring a massive new homebuilding boom.

New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP)

The New Democratic Party of Canada’s election platform, entitled Made for People. Built for Canada includes the following broad commitments to relate to Métis and MNO priorities:

Recognize Métis self-determination, and will pursue government-to-government negotiations on issues such as self-government, education, housing and health.
Launch a $16 billion national housing strategy that includes rent control and non-market and affordable housing. This will include a for-Indigenous by-Indigenous approach to housing, significantly boosting the federal government’s commitment to Indigenous housing with billions of dollars in new investments.
Work with Indigenous Peoples to fully harmonize the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Replace mere consultation with a standard of free, prior and informed consent, including for all decisions affecting constitutionally protected land rights, like energy project reviews.
Expand economic opportunities in Indigenous communities.
Fully implement all 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Introduce legislation to combat residential school denialism.
Invest in Indigenous healing centres and healers.
Expand the Red Dress Alert to ensure it covers the entire country.
Support and resource Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare systems through long-term and predictable funding that will be guaranteed in legislation.
Launch a National Inquiry into Systemic Violence and Racism Against Indigenous people within Canadian Institutions, and work to end systemic discrimination in the justice system such that the focus can be on community justice programs, healing and restorative justice rather than incarceration.
Introduce emergency price caps on basic food items
Use the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to offer low-interest, public-backed mortgages.
Establish a Housing Insecurity Prevention Benefit to help 50,000 people in critical need find homes.
Launch a plan to expand public mental health coverage for Canadians.
Expand and deepen trade relations with countries other than the US. And ensure Indigenous Treaty rights, Charter rights, French language and labour protections, and environmental safeguards are never sacrificed in trade negotiations.
Pass an Environmental Bill of Rights and establish an Office of Environmental Justice to address the disproportionate impacts of pollution and loss of biodiversity on Indigenous, Black and racialized communities, as well as youth and future generations.