Evidence of meeting #30 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 suicide.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:55 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you, Chair.
I want to thank Dr. Kirmayer for his excellent presentation. There's certainly much I'd love to discuss with him.
My colleague has brought forward the issue of the motion on truth and reconciliation. It is very pertinent because of the issue of the youth; what is going to be done with the youth today was one of the key findings, in the truth and reconciliation calls to action. We had a promise from the Prime Minister to bring forward every recommendation, and to implement it. I was there when the Prime Minister gave his word to the survivors that this would be done. This is a promise that runs bigger than an election promise. This is about a solemn promise that's made by a nation, through its parliament, through its Prime Minister.
I have to say on the record that of all the days I was in Parliament, I was proudest on the day the previous Prime Minister made that historic apology. That was a moment when Canada said we would make this right, and we still haven't made it right. We've seen this past week that the incredible work of Gord Downie and the Wenjack family has touched Canadians. We, as a nation, want reconciliation. We're expecting our officials to move on reconciliation. We expect this Prime Minister to follow through. I believe this is a recommendation to study this. This is not a partisan issue. This is about how we, through the Parliament of Canada, follow through on the promise that was made, that the Prime Minister speaking on behalf of all us and all Canadians, made.
If we are not going to look at the issue of truth and reconciliation and implementation of it, that would send me a very clear signal that this was just another promise to be broken, just another ploy. That would send a very negative message. We have to make sure that this nation-to-nation relationship is one of respect. It is perfectly reasonable for our committee to study it. Where else would we study it if not at our committee? We can be asking the ministers where they're going. This is not a confrontation. We are all in this as the Parliament of Canada, as the people of Canada. We want to know that path forward.
I thank my honourable colleague for his leadership on this and for bringing this forward. I certainly think that a vote is very important on this.
October 24th, 2016 / 4:55 p.m.
Conservative
Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. This is no longer my permanent assignment, but I spent more than two years as the parliamentary secretary on this committee. I know the good work and the general collegiality that existed then and that I've heard exists here now.
I too, like Charlie, remember the Liberal Party of Canada quite quickly—before the full report was even released—saying that they accepted all of the recommendations without fail, every single one of them, and that they would implement them. That was part of their solemn promise to indigenous Canadians and to all Canadians.
I think quite frankly that having Mr. Yurdiga bring this forward is a step forward. You're talking today about suicide among indigenous peoples and communities. We can trace much of the current state of affairs, particularly on reserve, back to the dark chapter of Canadian history that involves the residential schools. This is a multi-generational issue that continues to manifest itself today.
I would say that, rather than this being an insult to the professor, this is actually extremely important and extremely germane to the study we are embarking on today, because this is a promise that was made.
It has been now nearly two years. We need to have a progress update. We need to have measurables. We need to move past words to action. All of the good words, and they are good words, about making things better for indigenous communities are only that, if they're not followed up on with significant action.
That's where we want to focus as Conservative members on this committee. As members of the official opposition, we want a report. It's just to get that update.
Concerning the fact that there's committee business, what the public or the witness might not know is that it occurs in an in camera discussion; it's not in public. If this motion is moved in private and it doesn't come out the other end, well, Canadians will know what happened to this motion, I think, seeing the unanimous support for the motion on this side of the table.
We want this to be debated in public. We want it to be debated, because we think it's the right thing to do, to get that progress update and see it done in a respectful way. There's no torqued-up language in this; no one's looking to embarrass anyone. We just want to get tangible, meaningful discussions to take place, we want to have those discussions in public, and we want this vote to take place in public, which is why Mr. Yurdiga moved it now. I salute him for it and I'll be supporting it.
5 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Mr. Chair, I would like to move that the committee proceed to another order of business.
5 p.m.
Conservative
5 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
Yes. Well, I'm moving to proceed to another order of business, because we have witnesses here. I think it's disrespectful to have them waiting.
5 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Andy Fillmore
I think Mr. Anandasangaree is moving a dilatory motion to adjourn debate, to move on from this topic, which is his prerogative.
5 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
I'm sorry, I just want to get this clear. It has been put forward that we vote on this motion on the TRC, and I'm certainly willing to vote in support of it. I'm not quite sure what my colleague is doing. Is it that he does not want us to be able to debate this publicly? Is he opposing the motion? Could he explain, because I understand the Conservatives are going to support studying the TRC. I'm certainly going to be voting to study the TRC recommendations.
I'm not quite sure what he's bringing forward at this time; from what he says and what you say I'm not quite sure. Is he saying he wants to bring forward—?
5 p.m.
Liberal
5 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Well, actually I do have the floor. I'm asking for clarification. Mr. Chair, with all due respect, you are our chair. I'm asking for clarification here, so I did have the floor.
5 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Andy Fillmore
Mr. Anandasangaree is putting a dilatory motion on the floor to adjourn debate on the topic of Mr. Yurdiga's motion, as is his prerogative, as it was Mr. Yurdiga's prerogative to raise the motion again today.
So there is a call for a vote, and we've been asked for a recorded vote.
I'm going to ask again that all those in favour of—
5 p.m.
Liberal
5 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Andy Fillmore
I'm sorry; I beg your pardon.
Could you repeat your motion please, Gary?
5 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
The motion is “That the committee proceed to another order of business.”
5 p.m.
NDP
5 p.m.
Liberal
Gary Anandasangaree Liberal Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON
We do have a witness here, and I think we need to finish.