Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq MP says new federal electoral map kicks him out of his own riding

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OTTAWA — A Mi’kmaw MP says proposed changes to federal riding boundaries in Nova Scotia would exclude him and two Indigenous communities from his riding.

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Jaime Battiste says a proposed border change for Sydney-Victoria was made without consulting his Indigenous constituents – a move he says does not promote inclusion in politics.

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Other Nova Scotia Liberal MPs, including Immigration Minister Sean Fraser and Lena Metlege Diab, have raised concerns that the new borders will also divide other communities of racialized Nova Scotians.

The Constitution stipulates that federal borders must be revised every 10 years to reflect the changes and movements of the Canadian population.

A committee of the House of Commons examines the reports submitted by the independent commissions responsible for modifying the borders of their provinces, but the decisions are ultimately theirs.

Any approved changes will come into effect at a general election held after April 1, 2024, at the earliest.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on January 31, 2023.