Mr. Chair, I believe Mr. Boissonnault, the minister, is appearing before this committee. He's agreed to do so.
I am of the understanding that there is lineage within his family with indigenous members, and he's apologized for not making that clearer.
Regardless of all of that, it's also been very clear and it's been stated multiple times that the company in which he was a partner some time ago never received...and has never been put on the indigenous list. That doesn't exist. He never received contracts with regard to being an indigenous company. He's not on the list, he hasn't received contracts and he's made it clear that he's not involved in the day-to-day operations of this organization.
The purpose of this motion is to call into question the work of cabinet and of the Prime Minister's Office in determining, as we go forward.... It's not really relevant to this committee in terms of goings-on with respect to what the decisions of the cabinet should be.
I know they're so eager to be in power. They're already putting curtains up, trying to move furniture, trying to determine how to renovate the various residences and what they're talking about, but my goodness, we have ongoing...in regard to the workings of trying to enhance the contracts and the economic success of the members of the indigenous community. That's the whole point of going forward and of some of the practices that we have in place. We have systems to curb those who may try to be fraudulent in those activities with regard to any matter of procurement.
Mr. Chair, this motion is certainly all about politics. It's a great opportunity for them to get a few more social hits on YouTube. It's about their opportunity to get out there to provide even greater misinformation and manipulation of issues, just as they're trying to do with the residence in New York.
We have some serious...in regard to trying to help members of the indigenous community. We have very serious abilities to improve their lot in life. They have done an extraordinary job of getting involved in procurement and contracts with government. In fact, I'm very pleased by some of the meetings and engagements that I've had with some of their financing groups and so forth. That allows them to be at the forefront of major engagements in Canadian economic activity.
The members opposite, when they were there in power, so to speak, were certainly trying to engage and be powerful in their accusations, in their slogans and in claiming, falsely, the notions of people's integrity and engaging with, frankly, their own manipulation.
Frankly, it's somewhat disgusting to see the degradation they have, putting people through the wringer, from the bureaucracy onwards. Unlike the Conservatives of the time who were charged and who were found guilty...that was serious. What we're doing right now is trying to ensure that the indigenous community is protected and that those actions and activities have been taken.
When they were there, Mr. Chair, they destroyed that relationship. There was no real truth and reconciliation. There was no proper engagement with members of the indigenous community. In fact, it was the opposite. Now they're standing here, trying to be all holier than thou, when they're in fact the ones who were to blame from the get-go.
We're doing what's necessary to provide for true partnership and for true engagement. They're taking and abusing the system for their own gain and not for the gain of indigenous communities and certainly not for the gain of other Canadians who are working hard to establish that relationship.
I will be voting against this motion.