Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 9th, 2006

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

And that's what we agree with. We must move forward.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

It's no excuse at this table, when all the parties in the House of Commons, and Canadians, and the aboriginal leadership want to proceed, to go ahead—

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

And so does our government.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

—that in fact the government simply seems fixated on playing a partisan game.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

That's why we're proceeding—

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Now, let's deal with water.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

—with one of the largest budget investments in the last ten years.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Let's put ourselves in a situation in which, years from now, people aren't saying we didn't do enough about water, we didn't do enough about education.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Unfortunately, that is what they're going to be saying about your legacy.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

That's what Kelowna is all about.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Order.

Actually, we're drawing close to the end of our time—

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

I do have a—

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I know you have, but we don't have time for it.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

There are three minutes left, Mr. Chairman.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

I just want to say that I really do appreciate the witnesses coming forward to this committee. I've said this before, and I want to say it again. The heart of every committee member here is to address the issues of first nations and aboriginal people, to make sure—

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Chairman, I have three minutes left.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Madame Neville, I'm the chair of this meeting. We have to be out of here by 11 o'clock.

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

And there are three minutes on the clock.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

There are two minutes on the clock, and I am wrapping this meeting up. It's going to take time for us to get out of here.

Our heart is that we wish to proceed and help first nations people. That's the heart of everyone here, and we're going to work to do that in the course of our service here.

I might say that we are having two other meetings to meet the leadership of the various aboriginal groups and to hear their report on the agreements that were discussed at Kelowna.

Thank you very much for your time.

[Paul Martin, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard, QC]

Mr. Chairman, you have a difficult job. I think you're exercising it to the best of your ability, and I thank you very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

The meeting is adjourned.