Prime Minister Paul Martin billed yesterday's summit with Aboriginal leaders a historic new beginning, but critics slammed it as a "crass pre-election ploy" that exploits the despair of their people. Conservative MP John Duncan said the meeting was nothing more than a pricey "photo-op" for Martin. With a weak agenda and few specific commitments, the summit amounted to a series of feel-good speeches, he said. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada confirmed the cost of hosting the one-day conference in the capital was $350,000. "Personally, I think it's insulting to Canadian taxpayers, but it's also insulting to the aboriginal leadership because it's using them for crass political purposes," Duncan said. Calling the meeting an "extraordinary" event, Martin vowed to end Ottawa's paternalistic approach and collaborate with aboriginals to improve education, health and economic development. He promised to break the cycle of poverty, injustice and indignity plaguing Canada's native communities and set up a report card system to track progress. "No longer will we in Ottawa develop policies first and discuss them with you later," Martin told the roundtable of 70 native leaders. "This principle of collaboration will be the cornerstone of our new partnership." He also said the ultimate objective is to repeal the controversial Indian Act and disband the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. In the interim, there could be amendments to the Act. While some summit participants publicly expressed optimism for the plan, NDP MP Pat Martin said many were privately shaking their heads. "I've spoken to a lot who feel they're being used as an expensive backdrop for the next round of hollow promises," he said. Phil Fontaine, chief of the Assembly of First Nations, called the Indian Act "archaic, racist" and demanded it be turfed , not amended. | 
