Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 8th, 2007

[Ronnie Campbell]

No, Mr. Chairman, we wouldn't say that. Nor would we be in a position to say it. What we're saying is that those fundamental differences affect to some degree, and possibly to varying degrees, the negotiations that are taking place in the process. But we didn't do the type of analysis that would determine the extent to which they would have affected one negotiation more or less than another.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

How much time do I have?

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

You have a little over a minute.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

What's the projection as to future settlement, perhaps in the next year? Is there a sense of timing that potentially a few more cases could be summed up?

[Michel Roy]

Mr. Chairman—

Jeff, do you want to answer?

[Jeff Goldie, Executive Director, Federal Treaty Negotiation Office, British Columbia, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

It is possible that we could reach an additional four final agreements in the next 12 to 18 months, and possibly several additional agreements in principle with first nations in British Columbia.

[Rod Bruinooge, Conservative, Winnipeg South, MB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

On the Liberal side, Mr. Russell, you have five minutes.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Good morning, and my apologies for being a little late.

My questions are going to pertain to comprehensive land claims. They will deal with the Labrador Métis Nation land claim and the Labrador Inuit land claim. I do note that Mr. Roy, in his presentation, opened that door in terms of those particular processes.

Can you give me a brief update on the status of both those claims? As you are clearly aware, I have a lot of familiarity with at least one of those particular claim processes. The Labrador Métis Nation claim was filed back in 1991 and subsequent information in 1996, with a reconciliation process that started in 1998, and a fair exchange back and forth over that length of time, right up until 2006.

The minister did demand a response from the Labrador Métis Nation by September 2006 to various points that he raised in his letter in the summer of 2006. He wanted that letter by the end of September, but there has been no response from the department since, only a letter of acknowledgment. Can you fill me in on where the department is in relation to the Labrador Métis Nation claim, and how close is the Inuit Nation claim to an agreement in principle? I understand it is fairly close, although there might be a few outstanding issues.

[Michel Roy]

Mr. Chair, on the Labrador Métis land claim, there is discussion going on with the group there. I am sure the honourable member knows about the discussion or the exchange that we have with the Labrador Métis and the department and the minister. Discussion is going on in terms of the validity of the claim. So I don't think I am in a position to go further than that, because of the discussion.

For the Labrador Innu, it is still in negotiation, and you're right that we are coming close to reaching an AIP with the Labrador Innu. We still have a couple of things to negotiate, but it's at the negotiation stage right now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

Thank you.

The topic of our discussion today is the British Columbia treaty process. It is unfair to the witnesses if we ask anything outside that scope, because they haven't had ample time to prepare.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

With all due respect, though, Mr. Chair, in the presentation made by Mr. Roy, he said “outside of the British Columbia treaty process but included in the Auditor General's report”. He goes on and talks about these things—relevance to treaty negotiations, further progress, and all that type of thing. So my question is based on what was presented at committee.

Since you're developing here sort of a cross-Canada approach to claims or how to deal with pending claims and that type of thing, and you've talked to provincial and territorial governments, federal officials, and members of first nations, Métis, and Inuit groups, and there is a report that has been issued, is that report public?

[Michel Roy]

On the consultation and accommodation?

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Yes.

[Michel Roy]

Yes, the report has been sent to everyone who has been consulted, all organizations and governments that have been consulted. So it's a public document.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

And this report is specifically on the consultation obligations of the federal government.

[Michel Roy]

Yes. It's a synthesis of the consultations that they had.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

But coming out of this, you're developing a plan for next steps.

[Michel Roy]

Yes, exactly.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

When is this plan going to come out? Is there any indication?

[Michel Roy]

I don't have an indication for you today. I'm sorry about that. The work is in progress right now.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Has the department identified any timeline or any specific date by which they'd like to have this plan completed?

[Michel Roy]

I'm sorry, I don't have that information with me, but we can provide it to the committee.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Thank you.

I just want you to carry one message back to the minister, if you could.

[The Chair, Conservative, Colin Mayes]

You have 30 seconds to do that.