• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

House of Commons Debates VOLUME 147 Ï NUMBER 206 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, May 4, 2015 Speaker: The Honourable Andrew Scheer CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 13353 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, May 4, 2015 The House met at 11 a.m. the most public manifestation of this government's, indeed of any Canadian government's, commitment to reconciliation. The Prime Minister's heartfelt words will echo for generations, for they marked not a conclusion but a beginning of a new era of aboriginal relations Prayers in this country. The creation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement was another Ï (1100) watershed moment. The commission's activities and outreach have [English] been fundamental to the process of reconciliation. As hon. members are aware, our government has extended the commission's mandate UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF by an additional 12 months, to June of this year. This will ensure it INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ACT can report fully on this historic injustice and start Canadians on the path of reconciliation. The work of the commission will stand as a The House resumed from March 12 consideration of the motion lasting reminder that there is no place in Canada for the attitudes that that Bill C-641, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in inspired the Indian residential schools system to ever prevail again. harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Even more than this, our government has redoubled its efforts to Mr. John Barlow (Macleod, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I would like to work in partnership with aboriginal peoples to foster opportunities thank the hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou for a better future for aboriginal peoples throughout Canada. for introducing this bill and prompting this important discussion. His passion on this issue was quite evident and I want to recognize him It must be said that this work is achieving real results. Our for that. government is delivering on economic development, on housing, While I may oppose the passage of Bill C-641, I agree that issues and on child and family services. We are producing results with related to aboriginal rights are an integral part of Canada's past and respect to education, access to safe drinking water, and especially future. My southern Alberta riding of Macleod has a rich first nations governance. We are making concrete developments related to history, and I am proud to represent them here today. sharing benefits of natural resources development in traditional aboriginal territories, on the extension of human rights protection, It is well known that our government has been working on and on matrimonial real property protection to first nations on reconciliation and the implementation of aboriginal rights across reserve. Canada. As a member of the aboriginal affairs and northern development committee, I am particularly pleased to have the opportunity to address this subject. We are accelerating efforts to resolve the past grievances of first nations relating to Canada's obligations under historic treaties with In 2010, it was this government that endorsed the United Nations tools such as the expedited specific claims process. This new process Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples underscoring our brought in under our government allowed the minister to clear away commitment to reconciliation, to building a positive and productive a backlog of specific claims left behind by the Liberal government. relationship with first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and to improving the well-being of aboriginal Canadians. As we said when we endorsed the declaration, the government's vision is a future in Progress in areas such as the settlement of specific claims is which aboriginal families and communities are healthy, self- essential to advancing reconciliation while establishing a more sufficient and prosperous. Just as much as that vision remains true predictable climate for economic investment and increased prosper- today, it has guided the actions of this government from the ity for aboriginal communities, things that work to the benefit of all beginning. Canadians. These treaty agreements provide aboriginal communities with the lands, resources and the tools they need to determine their The Prime Minister's 2008 historic apology to former students of own destiny and take advantage of opportunities for economic Indian residential schools, to their families and communities remains development in ways that they could not have been able to before. 13354 COMMONS DEBATES May 4, 2015 Private Members' Business Our government has committed to reach specific claim settlements to shared solutions that work for aboriginal and non-aboriginal fairly and expeditiously through negotiation with first nations, and Canadians alike. the results cannot be denied. Since 2007, 125 specific claims have been negotiated, representing some $2.2 billion in settlements for We believe that much of the work our government has done with first nation communities across the country. We are equally first nations is actually compatible with the spirit of UNDRIP. committed to negotiating fair settlements to self-government and However, our government has also been very clear. We continue to comprehensive land claims, and we are responding to aboriginal have serious concerns regarding certain clauses of the declaration groups and others who have long called for reforms to the federal that go well beyond Canadian laws. Canada has a constitutionally approach. entrenched framework in place that ensures the recognition with, and when appropriate, accommodation of potential or established In July of last year, the minister announced a number of measures aboriginal and treaty rights with respect to crown activity. to address key impediments to concluding modern treaties. This included making important changes to Canada's own source revenue This is important for good governance, sound policy development policy and resuming negotiations related to the fisheries in British and decision-making. This framework balances the interests of Columbia. aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians and has served as a model Ï (1105) for nations around the world. In addition, the minister also announced important new measures However well-intended the bill may be, it is the view of this to promote reconciliation in advance of and outside of treaty. Canada government that supporting Bill C-641 would run the risk of will now consider proposals to negotiate incremental treaty and non- hindering our ability to balance these interests and realize solutions treaty agreements. These are two important new tools to help that work for all Canadians. strengthen partnerships with aboriginal groups and help address their section 35 rights. For these reasons, I urge the House to join me in voting against it. Incremental agreements could address one or more elements of an Ï (1110) eventual treaty, or could exist as stand-alone agreements in the event a treaty is not concluded. Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, as has been indicated by the Liberal Party critic, we wholeheartedly Moreover, our government has clarified Canada's approach to the support Bill C-641 moving forward. I think the vast majority of resolution of shared territory disputes in the context of resource Canadians understand why it is important for us to deal with the development, and we continue to take seriously our duty to consult issue of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. with aboriginal groups, particularly those in priority areas of high This is something that I believe crosses the different party lines. In resource development. listening to debates on issues of this nature, at times they can become quite partisan. I want to reflect upon a couple of aspects, maybe We are engaging aboriginal groups and other stakeholders in the something different from what the Liberal Party critic commented renewal of federal consultation guidelines, including new industry on, just to personalize it. guidance and a public statement to clarify Canada's approach to aboriginal consultation. We heard from the last speaker about the importance of consultation and working with first nations leaders, leaders of our Our government is also working toward developing a new aboriginal communities, and so forth. Over the last number of years, framework for addressing section 35 aboriginal rights through different pieces of legislation have been brought forward and dialogue with aboriginal groups and other stakeholders. ultimately passed, through time allocation, with very little real consultation taking place. There has been an exclusion of individuals As a first step in the development of this new framework, the who could be providing fantastic leadership on the issues which the minister appointed Douglas Eyford as ministerial special representa- House has to deal with in one form or another, but they have been tive to lead engagement with aboriginal groups and key stakeholders excluded from the process in particular in the development of the on renewal of the comprehensive land claims policy. Over the past legislation. six months, Mr. Eyford has met with representatives from more than 100 aboriginal groups, federal, provincial and territorial govern- Working hand in hand and enabling the first nations leadership to ments, and industry. develop good national legislation to empower different communities Mr. Eyford's report is now in hand. Over the coming months, we in all regions of the country is something that has been lost in good will engage with aboriginal groups as well as other stakeholders to part because of the government's attitude toward working with the seek their feedback on Mr. Eyford's recommendations. At the end of first nations. the process, we hope to have an improved comprehensive claim policy that will ensure collaboration between parties and enhance the I like to refer to what Paul Martin, a former prime minister, was B.C.

Load more

  80

Copy Link