National Council for Reconciliation Act  Mr. Speaker, I was just getting to the end of what I was saying. I should not have been interrupted.

National Council for Reconciliation Act  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C‑29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation. This council will monitor progress being made towards reconciliation across all sectors of Canada and support the sustainable implementation of measures to foster long-term reconciliation.

National Council for Reconciliation Act  Mr. Speaker, on December 1, 2022, the Conservatives joined all members of the House in voting in favour of Bill C‑29. Perhaps it is the member for Carleton's appointment as the Leader of the Opposition that has changed the dynamic in the House since then. It is certainly not the amendment that says that we recognize “since time immemorial, First Nations and Inuit peoples — and, post-contact, the Métis Nation — have thrived on and managed and governed”.

National Council for Reconciliation Act  Mr. Speaker, the member made some recommendations on behalf of his party that seem rather good in theory. However, the devil is in the details and it is easy, two years before an election, to say that one party would be better than another, particularly when it comes to relations with first nations.

National Council for Reconciliation Act  Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for his speech and his work. I feel he is sincere. He said something in his speech that bothered me a bit. He mentioned the summit that took place yesterday, which he himself organized. It was about an issue of critical importance: missing and murdered women and how we approach reconciliation and grief.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Calgary Shepard for his intervention and for his sensitivity on this issue. I think he made a number of important distinctions. He mentioned a few times that the government was not facing up to its responsibilities and was shirking its duty.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to once again thank my colleague from Nunavut for her intervention. Of course, first nations themselves will have to invest considerable sums of money as a result of this bill. We have found that, since 2015, the government has invested about a third or a quarter of the sums needed, so there is a cost to investing.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Nunavut for her commitment and her speech. I would like to ask the member a question in light of where she is from. What is the drinking water situation in her community? As I understand it, the territorial governments provide safe, clean water in communities, including first nations and Inuit communities.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for her question and her remarks, as well as for her genuine commitment to first nations. I will give an example concerning water quality. She accompanied the Kebaowek First Nation here so that its members could speak at a House of Commons news conference on a fundamental issue, namely the quality of water in the Ottawa River, which borders their territory.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, it was an excellent brief question because it leads me to point out the importance of first nations self-governance. Funding is key, but it must be significant, recurring and predictable. Let us talk about Quebec's water policy. Quebec made that policy a fundamental law.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Winnipeg North for his commitment to first nations and for his question. I will answer it by pointing out that the Minister of Indigenous Services was asked to release a list of the first nations and organizations that were consulted about the bill.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nunavut for her comments and question. She was already one of the members of the House I most respected. When I had the chance to get to know her better on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, I grew to admire her and her genuine commitment to the first peoples even more.

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, I want to say a special thank you to my colleague for her leadership with the community of Listuguj. She clearly knows every detail of that community's needs. It is unacceptable that a day care does not have drinking water. What happens as a result of a situation like that?

First Nations Clean Water Act  Madam Speaker, it is with deep humility and a great sense of responsibility that I take up the torch today for indigenous relations and the development of the north and its regions within the Bloc Québécois. First, I would like to salute my hon. colleague from Manicouagan for her outstanding dedication and hard work on behalf of the indigenous nations of Quebec and Canada over the years.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I will take the liberty of asking my colleague, the member for Timmins—James Bay, who is also my neighbour, about a climate change issue that directly affects his riding, as well as mine. I am talking about the forest fires we have seen happening. He talked about this when he discussed the impact on farmers.