Marc Miller touts progress on reconciliation, has harsh words for Poilievre

Warning: This story contains language that some readers might find offensive

Marc Miller — who held two Indigenous affairs cabinet portfolios before he was shuffled over the summer — says he believes the Liberal government has made substantial and "irreversible" progress on reconciliation, despite what he described as strong pushback from the bureaucracy.

Miller's move to the immigration portfolio upset many Indigenous leaders, who told CBC News his heart was in the right place and they worked well with him.

Others described his tenure as disappointing.

In spite of some progress, Miller failed to deliver on the Liberals' promise to end all long term on-reserve boil water advisories and was rebuked for moving too slowly on implementing changes called for by the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls.

Miller said he doesn't believe Indigenous people will be persuaded by promises of a "different approach" from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose party is now consistently leading the Liberals in the polls.

"He's a serial bullshitter," said Miller, who represents the riding of Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Sœurs in Montreal.

"Indigenous people have one of the best bullshit sensors in this country. They see people like him coming a mile away."

Miller made the statements in a recent interview with CBC News about changing portfolios after working directly on Indigenous issues for five years.

Responding to Miller's broadside against Poilievre, the Conservatives were quick to lay some of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's major reconciliation missteps at Miller's feet.

In a media statement, the Conservatives said Miller "stood by" and defended Trudeau's "appalling behaviour" when the prime minister expelled from cabinet the first Indigenous justice minister, Jody-Wilson Raybould, ridiculed an Indigenous protester raising concerns about mercury poisoning at a Liberal fundraiser and attempted to ban hunting rifles used in Indigenous communities.

"All the while, his Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations stood by and defended this appalling behaviour, all while restricting opportunities for resource development by First Nations and Métis communities and obstructing their financial freedom," said Sebastian Skamski, Conservative Party spokesperson.

"Despite the Liberals' promises, Indigenous people, like all Canadians, are worse off after eight years of his Liberal government's top-down, Ottawa-knows-best policies."

Miller became parliamentary secretary in 2018 to then-minister of Crown-Indigenous relations Carolyn Bennett.