Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate all of the testimony today. Of course you all come here with the best intentions to assist us in delivering the best product for Canada.
As a parliamentarian, when I was elected my biggest interest was systemic reform. Madam Lickers, as you presented your opinion on this matter, I tend to agree wholeheartedly that when the federal government was judge, jury, and also the entity that had to pay out settlements and could choose not to, that was a situation that treated first nations very poorly. This bill, I feel, is a fantastic systemic reform that is going to, in many people's opinion, bring a whole new era to the way specific claims are dealt with.
My first question to Madam Lickers would be in relation to the situation we find ourselves in as a Parliament. Of course we can't necessarily count on our time here being long, in light of our minority circumstances, and Mr. Russell is chiming in that he'd like to see the government thrown out as soon as possible. In that sense, because we have an opposition that is perhaps suggesting an election soon, which of course would kill this bill, do you have a recommendation to expedite our workâand not only that, for I know we have some senators in the room, but perhaps that the Senate should also consider this in short order?