Thank you very much.
Welcome.
I have to begin by apologizing that somehow your testimony is immediately before the hour of clause-by-clause. It's not the way Parliament is supposed to work. We should always have time, I think, to deliberate on wise testimony before we move into the process of deciding.
I also feel that what you've advised us, in terms of listening to the regional chief and explaining the proper way to go forward, makes the bill unacceptable, because it really is a job for first nations to lead the process to replace the Indian Act, with true consultation with all your people. You could then propose legislation that the government could then accept or negotiate, but it should come from first nations.
In the regional chief's testimony she advised that although well intentioned, the government's persistence in this is going to cause problems and have unintended consequences. This bill, because of the lack of consultation, is deeply flawed, and in terms of process it is unacceptable.
We have talked about whether private members legislation should actually have to meet a test of duty to consult or free, prior, and informed consent before it can be tabled, in the same way that we can't table things that cost money under private members legislation. Maybe we need a different test here in Parliament as to what is acceptable, or not acceptable, as private members business.
In the regional chief's testimony, she suggested that seeing that it's quite clear the government is going to pass this bill—they have the arithmetic to put it through—clauses 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, and 13 should all be deleted, or that we should vote down those clauses.
I'm not sure what the government is going to do. They've obviously heard that the wills and estates part is really a mess. We'll see what the government does.
Could you explain the issue of special reserves, and how the ability to create special reserves would be removed, that the provision...? They say these are provisions only of historical importance, but it seems to be an area that has not been well thought through.
Can you explain a little bit more to us about why the regional chief suggested that clause should be removed?