COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 27th, 2020

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

According to Vaughn Palmer in an editorial in the Vancouver Sun regarding the secret Wet'suwet'en deal, Palmer writes:

The hereditary chiefs calculated the two governments would sign despite the objections from the elected chiefs. They likewise got the terms they wanted in the MOU while giving up “absolutely nothing.” Just as they figured governments would keep the contents secret from the public.

Can the minister describe another situation in which the federal government negotiated a secret deal of this magnitude with unelected people?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

I thank the member for his ongoing concern and I want to remind him that actually it is in keeping with the Supreme Court decision of 1997 that we were to now begin those conversations with the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who took the case to the Supreme Court.

As we've said many times, this is not an agreement; this is an MOU that establishes the path forward for the substantive discussions towards a final agreement, which would describe the future governance and the implementation of Wet'suwet'en rights and title.

It is about a shared commitment.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, if it is a shared commitment, why on the eve of the signing ceremony did the four elected chiefs denounce the hereditary chiefs for keeping them in the dark?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Again, it's really important that the member understand that there was a process for the hereditary chiefs to go back to their communities and discuss with them. Any agreement after the good work that will happen now would have to go back and seek the approval of all of the communities.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Burns Lake Band members are openly wondering if they're still a band or if the few unelected hereditary chiefs will control everything now.

Minister, can you assure them that going forward you will honour their concerns and take the time to listen?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

I ask honourable members to still direct their questions through the chair.

The honourable minister.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Actually, the honourable member knows that the next steps include the further and ongoing engagement by the Wet'suwet'en in their house groups and that will include the six elected chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en nation, their community members and many others. This is about going forward and making sure that any—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We go back to Mr. Schmale.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Cynthia Joseph, a chief councillor with the Hagwilget First Nation says the MOU between Ottawa, the province and the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs was only shared with her community members on May 9, two days after it was published in the media.

Is this part of the open and transparent government all Canadians can expect of the Prime Minister?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Walking the path of reconciliation means that we work with our partners and there is a way that they do the work within their communities. It is going to be an agreement to begin the work, but any final agreement is going to have to be approved by all members of the nation in terms of developing a consensus for the agreement—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We go back to Mr. Schmale.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Does the minister have any concerns regarding claims by several former female hereditary chiefs that they were stripped of their hereditary status because they didn't agree with the men?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Again, it is going to be really important that the work take place within the Wet'suwet'en nation to determine their future governance, to determine their way of working with Canada and to make sure—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We go back to Mr. Schmale.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

For some reason it seems to be a problem to stand up for these hereditary female chiefs who had their titles taken away.

Does the minister plan on recognizing band council resolutions denying the authority of hereditary chiefs to sign any future agreements without consent of the elected chiefs and the 3,000 members within the Wet'suwet'en they represent?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I think the member must understand that, as we begin the work, the nation will do its work and then we will come to the table to determine what the governance would be. Will it be a hybrid model like at Heiltsuk, like Ktunaxa, like some of the communities developing their constitutions, developing their laws and deciding how they will determine their own governance and that partnership with Canada?

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Paul-Hus.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

The current restrictions on non-essential travel at the border do not prevent people from claiming refugee protection if they have family in Canada.

Why is the minister refusing to allow married people to cross the border?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

I want to thank the honourable member for a very important question. We have heard from many constituents and members of Parliament from right across the country who are expressing concern about non-status spouses being denied entry into the country because their travel is deemed to be non-essential.

I've recently been in touch with all of the provinces and territories because I think it's very important that we have their support for any changes—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Paul-Hus, you have the floor.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

If I understand correctly, Mr. Minister, you are talking to provincial representatives, but a case like that of Chantal Tremblay, for instance, is unacceptable. For two months now, she has been trying to bring her spouse to Canada, but it isn't working.

Is there a way to issue a directive to border services officers that married spouses—it's often marriages with Americans—can cross the border to join their spouses in Canada?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Just to be very clear—again, I thank the member opposite for the opportunity to clarify this—it is never our intention to separate families, but at the same time, we have imposed appropriate and necessary restrictions on non-essential travel.

Our border services officers inquire of everyone coming to that border about the nature of their travel, and for non-citizens who come to that border seeking entry into Canada, if their entry is deemed non-essential, then they exercise their discretion not to allow—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Paul-Hus, you have the floor.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Information from the Canada Border Services Agency has just come out. Since March 21, 425,000 people have flown into Canada. Among them were 295,000 Canadians, which isn't a problem. However, 100,000 foreigners have entered Canada, even though the border is supposedly closed.

How does the minister explain the fact that 100,000 people arrived in Canada by plane?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Again, I thank the member opposite for the opportunity to clarify. We have imposed very significant restrictions on non-essential travel, but of course there are circumstances where individuals come to this country and their entry into Canada is deemed essential.

For example, someone who is providing medical services and coming into Canada to provide those services would be deemed essential, because there is a great need among Canadians for those services. It's dealt with on a case-by-case basis. As you can see by the numbers, we have had a very significant reduction in the travel of all non-Canadians to Canada over the past two months.