Debates of April 8th, 2008

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the House for the opportunity to revisit the question that I previously asked about Indian residential school common experience payments.

I will begin by putting into context the political agreement that was signed back in May 2005. I will read one of the very first things that the parties agreed to in the political agreement because it is an important contextual piece. It states:

Canada recognizes the need to continue to involve the Assembly of First Nations in a key and central way for the purpose of achieving a lasting resolution of the IRS legacy, and commits to do so. The Government of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations firmly believe that reconciliation will only be achieved if they continue to work together;

When I raised the question in the House I talked about two particular issues. One was the common experience payments and the fact that many of the survivors were getting incomplete payments, in their view.

The second issue I raised was the issue around day students. Many day students went to the same schools as some of the other residential school survivors but the day school students went home at the end of the day while the other students stayed overnight. However, it is only the students who stayed overnight who actually ended up with the common experience payments, which seems to me to be a grave inequity.

I know there have been many calls for a reconsideration from both the survivors of the day school students of the residential school experience and some of the children who were in foster care. Under the terms of the political agreement where there was this intent of working together, I would call on the government to continue to work with the Assembly of First Nations in an attempt to find solutions, rather than having day students go back through a very cumbersome process, which simply has not worked, or take their cases to court.

In terms of the common experience payment aspect of my question, I went to the Indian residential schools resolution website and found that a significant number of claims had been processed but a couple of pieces of information were missing. One piece of information missing had to do with how many of the previous residential school students who have received payments received full payment. There was no information on how many of those students actually were compensated for the years they claim they were in a residential school.

We know that most of the challenge facing residential school survivors is the fact that school records have, in many cases, disappeared. In some cases the schools have burned down, and so on.

In addition, almost 20% of the applications that have been received to date have been deemed as not eligible for payment.

I would be interested to know on a couple of those issues how the government is proceeding to look at the number of students who did not receive full payment and the day students who have been deemed not eligible.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in response to the question put to this House by my hon. colleague, the member for Nanaimo—Cowichan, concerning the processing of common experience payments.

As we know, the Indian residential schools settlement agreement, which began implementation on September 19, 2007, will bring resolution to this unfortunate chapter of our history. This agreement is intended to foster reconciliation between the aboriginal people who attended these schools, their families, their communities and all Canadians.

As the member opposite is aware, an important part of this agreement is the common experience payment. Common experience payments have been made to former students who resided at an eligible federal residential school. Payments are $10,000 for the first year, or part of a year, plus $3,000 for each additional year, or part of a year after that.

All former students who lived at an eligible Indian residential school and were alive on May 30, 2005, may receive a CEP upon application. Eligible former students will only have to fill out a CEP application form and the Government of Canada will use its existing records to assess the claim.

A total of $1.9 billion has been allocated in order to make the common experience payments. To date, the government has received over 90,000 applications. I am pleased to report that since the launch of the common experience payments, as of this day, 78,000 of these applications have been processed.

A total of $1.2 billion has been paid to the former students through the CEP. This is in addition to the $82.6 million which was already paid out through the advance payment program to elderly former students.

The government is aware that in some cases unique circumstances have led to some applicants not receiving all the compensation for which they have applied.

In some cases, former students may have calculated the years which they resided at residential schools based on the calendar year rather than the school year.

Former students may have also resided at an Indian residential school for a number of years and subsequently attended a day school. The agreement, which was agreed to by all parties, does not include any day schools. However, some applicants may not distinguish these two experiences when applying for the CEP.

The government is also aware that in some cases records are incomplete. We are continuing to work with former students through a court-approved and supervised process to ensure applicants receive all the compensation for which they are eligible.

In all cases, applicants receive a detailed letter which outlines the amount of compensation they received and provides them with information on how they can participate in the court-approved process should they wish to do so for reconsideration. Further, an appeal process is also available, which is managed by all the parties to the settlement agreement.

What is important at this time is that we continue to focus on timely and effective implementation of the Indian residential schools settlement agreement, so that former students and their families may benefit from it.

At this time, I would like to draw the member's attention to the other important aspects of the agreement. These include the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will provide a holistic, comfortable and safe setting for former students to share their experiences. It will also create a complete historical record of this system. As we can see, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will be an integral part of the healing process for former students.

The Indian residential schools settlement agreement has also included $20 million in funding for commemorative activities, as well as $125 million for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

In closing, I would like to thank all members of this House for improving our commitment to the Indian residential schools settlement agreement.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the parliamentary secretary for taking the time to come and respond to this very important question.

On the Indian residential schools site, there are 37 pages of schools that are currently under review and roughly half of those schools are still pending a decision. I know that there is an appeal process currently in place, but this appeal process has only recently come into place.

I appreciate a timely and effective response, but I wonder what concrete measures, in light of that political accord, the government is currently taking to expedite looking at those schools that are currently still in question.

When we talk about numbers, when we talk about the 16,863 people who have been denied a common experience payment, what we are talking about here is actually not numbers, we are talking about people. We are often talking about elders who, by the very definition, are aging and they simply do not have the time to wait.

So, again, I would like to know what concrete action steps the government is taking in terms of those schools that are pending review?

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the concern the member has put forward on this issue as she continues to advocate on behalf of her constituents.

As I stated earlier, we have made great progress on the processing and delivery of the common experience payments. Each applicant and application requires considerable due diligence, which does take time. We are continuing to closely monitor progress and our officials have been instructed to respond to clients as promptly and as effectively as possible.

Furthermore, every effort will be made to assist former students in receiving all the compensation for which they are eligible.

I want to be clear. The government remains committed to the fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of the Indian residential schools and is taking all the steps necessary to ensure that the common experience payments and all other measures of the Indian residential schools settlement agreement are delivered as quickly and as effectively as possible.

This historic agreement will strengthen the partnerships that we have established and continue to foster, with aboriginal communities and all Canadians, a lasting--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Brant.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my request to have additional time on a particular issue was triggered by a response I received from the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on February 14. I asked the minister what action he intended to take with respect to the very desperate straits in which tobacco producers were and are finding themselves. The minister answered:

The member knows that we are moving on this file and that we will get the job done. He should stay tuned.

That was some seven weeks ago and nothing of substance has been done for the 1,500 quota owners who are facing very difficult times.

It is important to note that this is not simply a bail out of yet another sector which is facing difficulty. Tobacco producers are in a unique situation and the minister, his parliamentary secretary and members of the agriculture and agri-food committee know that.

It is not just about the high Canadian dollar. Everybody is facing the high Canadian dollars. It is not just the pressure from global competitors because many are facing that type of pressure.

The reality is that almost 40% of tobacco consumed in Canada is contraband. No other commodity is facing pressure from such an illegal competitor. Forty per cent is contraband tobacco, which is what, in and of itself, makes the situation of tobacco producers unique, and the minister knows that.

How disappointed, how shocked, frankly, the tobacco producers were when there was nothing in the budget of the Minister of Finance to assist them. Expectations had been raised and hopes certainly had been fueled but to this point nothing whatsoever has been done for this sector.

The average age of tobacco farmers is 58. They were so upset as a result of a conference call on Monday of last week that 150 of them descended en masse at the office of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration in whose riding most of the tobacco farmers live but do not work. Hardly any work, frankly. They were so upset that they remained.

Local media in my riding and in neighbouring ridings have taken up the cause, particularly, a journalist named Michael-Allan Marion, who writes for the Expositor, a daily in my riding. Mr. Marion has been articulate and relentless in his coverage of this issue in his desire, felt by constituents, by readership, that something be done for tobacco producers.

I ask the parliamentary secretary today to explain, if he can, what the minister meant when he said on February 14, “The member knows that we are moving on this file and that we will get the job done. He should stay tuned”.

I have stayed tuned, tobacco farmers have stayed tuned and the channel must be changed. There is nothing on the screen. What is on the horizon for tobacco producers?

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for bringing up this extremely serious issue today. As the member knows, this issue has been around for quite some time. As a matter of fact, it goes back to the days when his party was in power. The member knows that his party failed tobacco farmers throughout 13 long years.

Last week, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food met with MPs from southwestern Ontario and the Ontario minister of agriculture, as well as tobacco growers and manufacturers, to discuss the issues facing the tobacco industry. The Minister of Agriculture remains committed to working with all stakeholders to find a workable way forward.

We will continue to work closely with tobacco growers to find ways to make existing programs work for their industry. When the pork and beef industry was going through its recent hard times, we sat down with industry representatives and worked out a solution that worked for everyone.

That is what I like about the minister. When he is confronted with a problem in a different sector of agriculture, he meets with the representatives and they work out a solution collectively. I would encourage the tobacco marketing board to work with us and the minister and to do the same.

The issues facing tobacco growers are not new. The member opposite knows that well, as he was part of a government that did not get the job done during 13 long years.

Let me give an example of how this government and this minister are taking steps to help find a workable way forward.

At a meeting with local members of Parliament and mayors, the Minister of Agriculture initiated an important dialogue to look at assistance for communities that are now dealing with the tobacco issue. The member for Elgin—Middlesex—London has agreed to chair a task force of municipal leaders to identify existing programs that can provide support and to help these communities access that assistance.

By the way, I really want to thank the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London for agreeing to take on that responsibility. He too has worked tirelessly on this issue for the producers in his riding. This new task force represents real action and progress for the areas affected by this longstanding issue.

You do not have to believe me, Mr. Speaker. Let us hear from one of the local municipal leaders who will play an important role in this task force. The mayor of Norfolk, Dennis Travale, said the federal government has “come to the table and assist[ed] us with a strategic plan to help our economic revival”. The mayor of Norfolk is happy with our discussions and they will continue.

After 13 years of broken promises from the party opposite, we will continue to work to find a way forward with the industry and affected communities.

[Lloyd St. Amand, Liberal, Brant, ON]

Then, Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary and the minister should contact the mayors of Delhi and Tillsonburg to get their take on the non-action--and there is no lesser word--and the absolute absence of responsibility taken by the government for tobacco producers. Those are towns that have been decimated because of the difficulty confronting tobacco producers.

The farmers themselves and nearby communities have been devastated by the government's non-action, a government that has been in power now for over 26 months. For tobacco producers, these issues are not new, that is true, but the question remains then: why has it taken over 26 months for the government to do anything?

What we hear today from the parliamentary secretary is that dialogue has been initiated. He has not been listening perhaps, because the dialogue has been ongoing, except that it has been ongoing from one side--

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Guy Lauzon, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after failing to get the job done for the last 13 long years, it is surprising to hear a member from the Liberal Party speak out on this issue. Liberals should be embarrassed. As on so many other issues, the Liberals failed to deliver for Canadian farmers for 13 long years. They just did not get it done.

I am pleased that the Minister of Agriculture has announced this new task force, which will work to find existing programs and help affected communities access that assistance. I am also pleased to see that the task force has been embraced by municipal leaders such as the mayor of Norfolk, Dennis Travale.

The minister remains committed to work within existing programs to find a workable way forward. After 13 long years of inaction on this issue, affected communities can be assured that we are working with them to find a path forward.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:17 p.m.)