Mr. Speaker, what the public needs is some straight talk from the Reform Party.
The member for Athabasca, who sits on the Reform Party's policy committee, said: "The Europeans came to this country 300 years ago, opened it up and settled it. Because we did not kill the Indians and have Indian wars does not mean we did not conquer these people. If they were not in fact conquered then why did the aboriginal people allow themselves to be herded into little reserves in the most isolated, desolate, worthless parts of this country?" That is what has happened in B.C., Mr. Speaker.
The hon. member now says we should not do anything. Well now is not the time to take that position. I wish the Reform Party would support the BCTC legislation, which they may, so we can start negotiating and doing the job we were elected for: to support the very people the Reform Party represents. This hon. member has half a dozen to a dozen First Nations in his riding. It is about time he realized that they are Canadians and voters and they have grievances that we must begin to resolve.