Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thanks to the MPs for being here today.
It sounds to me like there's.... I guess I want to say that I understand the comments that were made about the fact that people don't always engage in a process when they don't have an objection. I think that's especially so if you've been historically marginalized and disenfranchised.
I also want to say that I really understood from the testimony you've given that, across each one of your stories here, there seems to be the sense that the first phase, the first proposal that was given, seemed to kind of lure people into a sense of security around what was being proposed. Then something else resulted in the second phase after the consultations took place, and now there's really only this process to voice those concerns.
On Mr. Perkins' point, which I found very offensive, to be honest.... To say that they're now proposing to “interfere”, to use that word I think is just inappropriate, because this is the actual process that we're following, as the chair has said. I think you should feel perfectly confident and comfortable in expressing your concerns here at this committee, and I invite you to do so.
Based on your perspective, Mr. Battiste, is there a systemic bias in this process?