Evidence of meeting #25 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was martin.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
Could we just have some order? Could you ask the question, Mr. Bruinooge, so Mr. Martin can address the question?
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Mr. Martin, you often referred to British Columbia in some of your statements, and I'm going to read a statement by Minister de Jong: “The thing is that what is referred to as the Kelowna accord was actually a summary of discussion that didn't end up in any signed-off package.”
Since, again, there is no signed accord, how can we attempt to implement a bill that calls upon an accord?
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Mr. de Jong's government signed the Transformative Change Accord between British Columbia and the federal government. I have met with Mr. de Jong. I would suggest you might call him to this committee and ask him if he doesn't think that Kelowna shouldn't go ahead.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
He was referring to the Kelowna accord and the fact that there was no signed document. He wasn't referring to his accord that he had; there's no question about that having taken place.
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Why don't you invite the British Columbia Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Mr. de Jong, to this committee and ask him if he thinks that the Kelowna accord should proceed? Ask him.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Mr. Martin, how long after a Globe and Mail reporter coined the phrase “Kelowna accord” about a month after the first ministers meeting did you adopt it as part of the communications strategy of the last election campaign?
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Well, I was there. It was called the Kelowna accord from the very beginning.
Conservative
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
The first time we have it on record is about a month later.
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
Well, with the greatest respect, it was actually called the Kelowna accord before we said that's what we're going to do.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Great.
Mr. Martin, are you pursuing this as a legacy item, perhaps due to the fact that the only legacy it seems you have is the fact that your nemesis served you up a rather large political grenade in terms of the sponsorship scandal? Is this something that you're attempting to use as a legacy item?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
We are meeting on the subject of the agreement, please. Could you rephrase that, Mr. Bruinooge?
Order.
Mr. Bruinooge, could you rephrase that, please?
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Mr. Martin, it's the deception, though, that I want to point out, and that's what I've been pointing out today. It's the fact that time after time through the last 13 years we've seen aboriginal people left off the page, and it wasn't until the last moment of your administration that you brought forward this Hail Mary pass to attempt to create the perception that you're attempting to do something for aboriginal people.
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
There are two legacies here. One is the legacy that has been described by the members of the opposition on this side of the table, which is a legacy that no Canadian can be proud of, which is the human tragedy that has occurred to aboriginals. That is one legacy that we are trying to remedy. Fundamentally, we want to make that better.
The second legacy.... And I must say that I just fail to understand that when the members on this side of the table, the opposition, have essentially said this is something that we want to deal with, you come to this table and you do nothing else but read your party's speaking points and try to score partisan political points as opposed to dealing with the fundamental issues that we're dealing with here.
All Canadian governments, going back to Confederation, have a responsibility, and there is a record of which none of us can be proud.
Conservative
Liberal
Paul Martin Liberal LaSalle—Émard, QC
What we're all saying is let's deal with it, and for heaven's sake, let's stop playing politics. If you want to say, we think it's not right, then let's try now to deal with the fundamental issue.