Good afternoon to the four of you. I'm delighted you could join us today.
We are on a kind of treadmill that is very difficult to get off. The department is having a very hard time coming up with the necessary funds for housing, drinking water and sanitation on reserves. Several aboriginal women came and told us that they had undertaken consultations but that they had run out of money and resources to finish those consultations. More resources must be made available. I assume the same is true for first nations.
There was a court ruling, Weyerhaeuser ("Haida") and Ringstad v. Taku River Tlingit, that lead some individuals to believe that there is a legal obligation to consult. The minister has said that this does not necessarily meet the conditions and that there is no obligation. For example, I absolutely agree with Ms. Archibald and Mr. Beaucage who say that respect between nations and individuals implies consultation and agreement. Both the Prime Minister and a minister promised that in the future consultations would be carried out when new legislation was being developed.
I have some questions with respect to what you consider to be consultation. Would consultations be carried out by band councils or by the Assembly of First Nations? Do you need 18 months, 30 months or 36 months to consult, as you and most other parties have stated? How do you think consultations should proceed?