Sahtu Dene And Metis Land Claim Settlement Act  Speaker, I am very happy to address this House today to inform you that I and the party which I represent, the Bloc Quebecois, will be very pleased to support Bill C-16 for several reasons. I would like to tell you that since I became Indian Affairs critic for the Official Opposition, this is probably the issue on which I have spent the most time. The procedure followed in this case is fairly typical and representative of what I intend to do from now on with government bills on Indian affairs.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday there is nothing in the comments of the opposition members that suggests anything except that they want to fearmonger and find scapegoats. Let us be clear on what the First Nations are saying. I will quote Chief Ed John of the B.C. summit who said “First Nations share a common objective with other British Columbians that a strong and productive economy benefits everyone and we are prepared to do what we can to ensure there is economic stability in British Columbia”.

Nunavut Act  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to address the House today on Bill C-39, an act to amend the Nunavut Act and the Constitution Act, 1867. I have the privilege of starting the third and final reading debate on this bill following a comprehensive review by the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Kosovo  In due course a treaty was signed which has since then worked fairly well. I visited Bosnia with the foreign affairs committee in the fall of 1997 and was able to see some of the success of the Dayton accord and the post-Dayton situation is relatively stable. Canadian peacekeepers are respected globally.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we are not talking secession here; we are talking sovereignty association, a sovereign state. I asked the minister about creating a state within a state in the province of British Columbia. I am sure that he wants to respond again. He says that Quebec cannot take over the federal government's powers, and we agree.

Committees Of The House  Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 22nd report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts regarding Chapter 14 of the September 1998 auditor general's report entitled “Indian and Northern Affairs Canada—Comprehensive Land Claims”. I also have the honour to present the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts regarding Chapter 20 of the December 1998 auditor general's report entitled “Preparedness for Year 2000: Government-Wide Mission-Critical Systems”.

Nunavut Act  moved that Bill C-39, an act to amend the Nunavut Act and the Constitution Act, 1867, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure and an honour for me to begin the debate on Bill C-39, an act to amend the Nunavut Act and the Constitution Act, 1867.

Drinking Water Materials Safety Act  I am also proud to say that the drinking water materials safety act will build upon the unique collaborative and co-operative working relationship Canada has enjoyed with the other jurisdictions in this country. The Assembly of First Nations in partnership with Health Canada and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is currently working on a project to identify solutions to assist First Nations communities in protecting and enhancing the quality of their drinking water.

The Budget  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the hon. member. I know when she was living in Winnipeg she was a fine contributor to the broadcasting community. The hon. member touched on a critical issue. I do not think anybody can be proud of the aboriginal problems in this country.

Finance  Madam Speaker, I am also glad to participate in the prebudget debate. The Minister of Finance will be bringing down a budget in a few short weeks. We will find out what the news is and this time we expect it will be a fair amount of good news. We can somewhat predict what the minister will say.

supply  I will be speaking on chapter 11 which deals with the Canadian aboriginal economic development strategy, but more generally with the Auditor General's report dealing with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development its and programs. If one is to examine past reports of the Auditor General dealing with northern affairs and aboriginal affairs, going back some 20 years beyond the last government to include the Liberal government before that, the same criticisms come up repeatedly.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I have made very clear the responsible approach we are taking with regard to this letter. I have to ask what the motivation is of this opposition. I guess it puts me in mind of a comment made by a political forebear of mine, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, who said that it is easy to raise prejudices.

Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to discuss the multilateral agreement on investment today. This is an official opposition Reform motion which is being debated. I will read it. That this House condemn the government for: (1) failing to explain why it is negotiating the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (the MAI), (2) failing to explain what benefits and costs it foresees for the Canadian people, and (3) failing to take part in public discussion on the Agreement.

First Nations Housing  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House on the motion introduced by the hon. member for The Battlefords-Meadow Lake. The hon. member has expressed some genuine concern about housing conditions in many First Nations communities. I know my hon. colleague's views are heartfelt and sincere.

First Nations Land Management Act  Mr. Speaker, I welcome the hon. member's comments. I served on the yes committee in my riding for the Charlottetown accord. I agree that probably for the first time Indian rights, self-government and so on were included in a constitutional type of document. I think there was an error made in that document, despite my support of it, and in my riding it passed by a narrow margin.