Thank you very much.
First of all, thank you for all of your presentations. They were very good.
I've worked on this for a while and the nexus point of the bill is really to affirm the inherent right of all indigenous nations across Canada, including Manitoba, to develop and to implement their own laws regarding child welfare.
I want to read directly from the bill. Clause 22 talks about indigenous nations and federal laws, stating, “If there is a conflict or inconsistency between a provision respecting child and family services that is in a law of an Indigenous group, community or people and a provision respecting child and family services” that is a federal act, “the provision that is in the law of the Indigenous group, community or people prevails to the extent of the conflict or inconsistency.”
Subclause 22(3) also concerns relations with the province:
For greater certainty, if there is a conflict or inconsistency between a provision respecting child and family services that is in a law of an Indigenous group, community or people and a provision respecting child and family services that is in a provincial Act or regulation, the provision that is in the law of the Indigenous group community or people prevails to the extent of the conflict or inconsistency.
My question is for Grand Chief Dumas. I haven't read your bill, but if there is a conflict with either the province or the federal government, your law would prevail. Based on that, I'm having a hard time understanding where the conflict is that you or the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs have with this bill.