Mr. Breton's amendment is relevant and concerns what I argued earlier. I just discussed it with Mr. Boissonnault. We have observed that sometimes the Liberals are afraid to include definitions in a bill. Yet definitions are the foundation of a bill. We are talking about the repatriating indigenous cultural property, but people want to remove the definition. I find that, from the outset, this has the effect of radically watering down the bill, especially since the Canadian Museum of History recommends that we make a distinction between indigenous cultural property that comes from Canada and property that comes from outside the country.
Why is the museum making this recommendation? Because it would clarify which items in public collections outside Canada the legislation applies to. This is an extremely important issue, which has been set aside, but is contained in the document that was presented to us yesterday, after the deadline for tabling amendments in committee. That's why I recommend that the committee establish a new deadline for the submission of recommendations and that we choose to adjourn. We would have time to review the new information that has been brought to the committee's attention that will allow us to make informed decisions, including on the proposal to remove a definition. We think it's better to have a definition, or even to make the definitions clearer.
I just want to clarify that there is both public and private property. There is also indigenous property in Canada and other property outside the country. This has important consequences for the owners of these items as well as for museums. In this case, we are also talking about indigenous communities that wish to repatriate these items. It is important that our approach be open, but that it not infringe on individual rights to private property.
That is exactly what recommendations of the Canadian Museum of History are about. As I have already said, this is why it seems important to me at this time that we have more time to consider the recommendations of the Canadian Museum of History, more specifically with regard to Mr. Breton's amendment, which proposes that the definition be removed. I find that starting by removing the definitions is a curious way to start a bill.