Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank you for coming to present your views to the committee today.
On a point of clarification, there is no reason why Bill C-44 cannot be put on hold until appropriate consultations have taken place.
But I think you've both addressed a far larger issue. We've heard consistently from witnesses who have come before the committee that they support the repeal of section 67. But it is the process. I know certainly that some of my colleagues and I have spoken about the need to repeal section 67.
Chief General and Chief Balfour, you've both touched on the larger problem. It doesn't matter whether it's Bill C-44, matrimonial real property, housing, or what bill comes before the committee; the larger issue is the lack of recognition of a nation-to-nation status. If we were talking to any other treaty signatory as a Canadian government, we would not present them with a fait accompli; we would not present them with a bill and ask them what they thought. If we wanted to change a treaty in which we'd already engaged, or change some rights that we had agreed to through a treaty process, we would engage in dialogue and consultation before we drafted any kind of legislation or treaty changes.
I think that comes to the heart of the matter of this. Once again we have a government that presents you with a proposal and asks what you think, instead of coming to you first and saying, “We think we need to do something about the repeal of section 67. How do you want to do this?”
I wonder if you could comment on that.