Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on May 8th, 2006

[Gary Merasty, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

We're on the amendment at this point.

Go ahead.

[Gary Merasty, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

The question posed talked about taxpayers, and I think there are a number of things here.

Let's look at the impact of the 1989 cap. Since 1989, the federal funding has virtually been flatlined, but the aboriginal population has gone like this, and you've ended up with a huge gap.

Plans? You'll hear plans from across the country from all aboriginal groups talking about, yes, we need to increase the funding, support and increase the funding to the ISSB, Indian students support program, for example, to support the institutions that are out there, like the Native Law Centre, the First Nations University of Canada, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, and others across the country. They'll talk about partnerships between universities and colleges to ramp up and ladder programs to increase aboriginal participation in post-secondary institutions--i.e., the National School of Dental Therapy, the U of S, U of R, FNUC, SIT Partnership for Registered Nursing. So the plans are there. And as I said, they've worked on these plans for decades. They've had models of success. Studying has been done. The work is done.

As for the taxpayers payment, one of the front-loaded items in the Kelowna accord was relationships. I mentioned the joint policy initiative towards the establishment of a First Nations Auditor General, for example. The Auditor General herself, who, in my previous capacity, met with my office, said it is unfair for them to come in without addressing three main things in aboriginal communities right now: building the capacity, because your bureaucracies are compressed, and we need to increase the capacity at the First Nations, Métis, Inuit level; establish the financial management standards, which work has been ongoing; and establish national standards. Until that point, the Auditor General will say, it's unfair for her to go in because it would set up an opportunity for them to provide a bad report, and that's not our intention. Our intention is to work with you and ensure accountability to, first, the members you service in the aboriginal community, and go on from there.

So those are some of the responses to your question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

Okay.

Mr. Bruinooge.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Maybe I'll just address some of the points raised by Mr. Merasty. He first mentioned the flatline funding. Of course, we have to look back to the previous 13 years and wonder--

[Gary Merasty, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

In 1989 the Conservative government implemented it.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

--why it hasn't increased in funding until the very last moment of the Liberal mandate. The insincerity there, I think, is quite apparent.

[Gary Merasty, Liberal, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Kelowna.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

One thing our government plans on doing is actually--

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

We'll just have one at a time, please.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

--making real progress. I assure you, we will do that. One thing that Conservatives are well known for is actually achieving results, and I'm looking forward to being a part of that.

You talked about the capacity, the systems not being ready, and I think you make a good point. That's the point I've made already today, that we want to ensure that the system is ready for new investment. After we've studied that system and have found new efficiencies, I think that will be a good opportune moment to bring about perhaps an increased funding scenario.

So I think when we look to the point of my amendment, it is endorsing the objectives of the accord, but it's not tying ourselves to it, in the sense that we want to look for those additional options, we want to be able to make sure that there are other opportunities, through making the system more efficient, to achieve the goals. That is the perspective I bring, and I think many members of our side bring, to this discussion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

Mr. Storseth.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Bruinooge had some of my lines there, but one of the things that I would like to make clear is that I haven't heard anybody here disagreeing with objectives of the Kelowna agreement. Indeed, I've sat down with many of the First Nations leaders in my riding and discussed the objectives with them, and they're in agreement with the way the Conservative government is proceeding with this.

What Mr. Bruinooge is suggesting here is simply that the committee take the time to study this further, talk to some witnesses. One of the criticisms I've heard from people in my riding is that in some areas the Kelowna agreement doesn't go far enough in addressing the concerns of some First Nations groups. So that's one of the things I would like some responses to.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

At this time, if there are no further responses with respect to the amendment before us, we'll have the amendment read. If there are no further comments with respect to that, we'll go to the vote.

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

A recorded vote.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

A recorded vote. Okay.

[The Clerk]

The amendment would read:

That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee recommends to study the objectives of the first ministers meeting of last November, particularly in relation to housing, health, education, water, and economic development.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

That's understood?

Is the French translation coming through okay?

[The Clerk]

Would you like me to read it in French?

[Marc Lemay, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

As for me, it is not necessary. No means no.

[The Clerk]

It is the same in both French and English.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

Just to be clear now, we're voting on this amendment to the main motion that Mr. Lemay has before the committee.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Maurice Vellacott]

A point of order, yes.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

I haven't actually had a chance to read this amendment. Is it possible to see it in writing? I believe that is in the Standing Orders, and it's also something that can go to the heart of the motion.