Evidence of meeting #103 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was peoples.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Michael Fox  President of Indigenous Community Engagement Inc., Co-Chair, Aboriginal Affairs Committee, Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
Francyne Joe  President, Native Women's Association of Canada
Paul-Matthieu Grondin  President of the Quebec Bar, Barreau du Québec
Francis Walsh  Member, Comité sur le droit en regard des peuples autochtones, Barreau du Québec
Jennifer Preston  Program Coordinator, Canadian Friends Service Committee
Pat Van Horne  Legislative Representative, National Office, United Steelworkers
Paul Joffe  Lawyer, As an Individual

5:20 p.m.

Lawyer, As an Individual

Paul Joffe

The only thing I was going to say is that I submitted to this committee a commentary on Mr. Isaac's and Mr. Hoekstra's work, and I dealt with that question. First of all, you'll see in there that his arithmetic was wrong, and even if you accept it, one should look at how states with indigenous peoples voted. It was actually 57, not 42, out of 88, and so he was wrong there.

As Jennifer said, if the world has now reaffirmed the UN declaration eight times by consensus at the General Assembly, what is the difference between that and what happened when four states later changed their vote? It doesn't make sense. The fact that it has been reaffirmed eight times by consensus says that if the whole world can do this, there must be something valuable in it.

Thank you.

5:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk

I wish we had more time, but I'm going to have to cut you off.

The meeting is adjourned.