39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development EVIDENCE CONTENTS Thursday, November 9, 2006 0905 The Chair (Mr. Colin Mayes (Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC)) Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP) The Chair Hon. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.) The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South, CPC) The Chair Mr. Marc Lemay (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, BQ) 0910 The Chair Ms. Jean Crowder The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul's, Lib.) The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin (LaSalle—Émard, Lib.) 0915 0920 The Chair Hon. Anita Neville 0925 Right Hon. Paul Martin Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.) 0930 Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Mr. Marc Lemay Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Marc Lemay Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Marc Lemay 0935 Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Marc Lemay Hon. Ralph Goodale Mr. Marc Lemay Hon. Ralph Goodale The Chair Ms. Jean Crowder 0940 Right Hon. Paul Martin Ms. Jean Crowder Right Hon. Paul Martin Hon. Andy Scott (Fredericton, Lib.) 0945 The Chair Hon. Andy Scott The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Carolyn Bennett The Chair Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge 0950 Hon. Carolyn Bennett Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Carolyn Bennett Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Mr. Gary Merasty (Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, Lib.) 0955 Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Gary Merasty Hon. Ralph Goodale Mr. Gary Merasty The Chair Mr. Steven Blaney (Lévis—Bellechasse, CPC) 1000 Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Steven Blaney Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Steven Blaney The Chair Mr. Steven Blaney Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Mr. Gérard Asselin (Manicouagan, BQ) 1005 Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Mr. Marc Lemay Hon. Andy Scott 1010 The Chair Mr. Harold Albrecht (Kitchener—Conestoga, CPC) Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Harold Albrecht Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Harold Albrecht The Chair 1015 Ms. Jean Crowder Right Hon. Paul Martin 1020 The Chair Mr. Brian Storseth (Westlock—St. Paul, CPC) Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Brian Storseth Right Hon. Paul Martin Hon. Ralph Goodale Mr. Brian Storseth Hon. Ralph Goodale The Chair Mr. Brian Storseth The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Brian Storseth Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Brian Storseth Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Brian Storseth Right Hon. Paul Martin 1025 Mr. Brian Storseth The Chair Ms. Nancy Karetak-Lindell (Nunavut, Lib.) The Chair Ms. Nancy Karetak-Lindell Right Hon. Paul Martin Hon. Andy Scott 1030 The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge 1035 Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Mr. Marc Lemay Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Marc Lemay Right Hon. Paul Martin Hon. Andy Scott 1040 The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair 1045 Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Mr. Steven Blaney Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Ms. Jean Crowder 1050 Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge 1055 Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge Hon. Andy Scott Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin Mr. Rod Bruinooge Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Hon. Anita Neville The Chair Right Hon. Paul Martin The Chair CANADA Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development NUMBER 025 l 1st SESSION l 39th PARLIAMENT EVIDENCE Thursday, November 9, 2006 [Recorded by Electronic Apparatus] * * * (0905) [English] The Chair (Mr. Colin Mayes (Okanagan—Shuswap, CPC)): Committee members, you have the orders of the day before you. Today, to look at Bill C-292, an Act to implement the Kelowna Accord, we have as witnesses the Right Honourable Paul Martin, LaSalle—Émard; the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Wascana, and Mr. Goodale apparently will be here about 9:30; and the Honourable Andy Scott, Fredericton. Committee members, before we move to hearing from the witnesses, I have an urgent letter from the minister. Because of the nature of the letter, I'd like to read it to you. It has to do with the Pikangikum. He says: I am writing to ask your Committee to carry out an immediate investigation regarding the circumstances faced by the Pikangikum First Nation in northwestern Ontario. I am asking the Committee to travel to Pikangikum as soon as possible, and I am requesting that you meet with representatives of that Community and carry out all other necessary hearings and investigations. I would ask that you then report back to me on the difficulties that this community has encountered in the past in relation to infrastructure and governance. I am advised that an extensive record exists, documenting the difficulties faced by the community and the Department vis-a-vis road access to the community, the absence of electrical service, the availability of water hook-up, and the adequacy of community school facilities. I understand that there has also been a prolonged and divisive dispute between the Government of Canada and this First Nation relative to governance and related financial and managerial issues. These questions are of concern to me and I would appreciate the benefit of the thoughts of your Committee members following a visit to the community and a review of the historical record. I would appreciate receiving your advice as quickly as possible. The letter is signed by the Hon. Jim Prentice, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. Committee members, I would like to ask if you would respond to that letter, please. Madam Crowder. Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I thank the minister for putting that before the committee. I guess my question is whether appropriate protocol has been followed. Have the chief and elders been advised that the committee would like to travel there, and have they been receptive? Protocol dictates that we must be invited before we can actually go to their community. The Chair: That's a good point. Would it be to the pleasure of the committee that committee members would write the community and ask for that invitation? Madam Neville. Hon. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.): Mr. Chair, thank you very much. My first question is whether the minister has been there himself. Has he conducted an investigation? I'm wondering whether it would be useful, before we made a decision, to review the record that you have spoken of. Then we can make a decision. I'm aware of some of the circumstances at Pikangikum. It's not an easy environment to move into. I don't know whether, with 12, 14, or 15 people coming in, we will get a realistic picture of what is going on at Pikangikum. I'd like to see the record. I'm not averse to going in, but I need more information. I strongly agree with what Ms. Crowder says. I don't think it's incumbent upon us to plunk ourselves in without some discussion on it. And I do want to know whether the minister and/or his close representatives have been there. The Chair: Thank you. Mr. Bruinooge. Mr. Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South, CPC): Based on the information that we have heard on the situation in this community, I think it would be an excellent idea for our committee to try to learn as much as we can, and there's no better way to get a sense for the situation than by actually going to the site and learning first- hand what the needs of this community are. So I would be, of course, more than happy to take up this task, and I would recommend to the committee that we do so. The Chair: Mr. Lemay. [Translation] Mr. Marc Lemay (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, BQ): Mr. Chairman, we were asked—and that includes the minister—to go to that location. If we are to go there, then I would like to read the documents and find out about the minister's position.