Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 10th, 2020

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you very much.

You have the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that has ruled against your government for discriminating against first nations children. We are now at nine non-compliance orders. If the rule of law is about respecting the law, are you not breaking the law here? Yes or no?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

First, thank you for the question.

This is highly emotional—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Yes or no?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

—because we're speaking about first nations—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I asked a “yes or no” question.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

—children, and this government is resolutely convinced—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

So I—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Please allow him to answer the question. Please, let's cut this talking over and get a question answered, and then move on.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

What we're facing as a government is a challenge on many levels. The Prime Minister, in his mandate letter to me, has been quite clear that we will compensate first nation children for what they have suffered—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Um—

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

—to the extent that monetary compensation can do so.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

We'll move on to the next one.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

This is a very important issue to me, MP Gazan, so I'm glad to answer it at a later date, but it's something that requires a lot more discussion—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

You're not answering my question. It seems that your government supports the rule of law when it suits your economic interests. I say that because many times we end up in these situations in Canada because our own laws, our court decisions, or the human rights of indigenous peoples or indigenous laws are not respected.

If upholding the rule of law means respecting law in court, we can hardly conclude that respecting the rule of law for indigenous people and their rights has occurred with this government. Do you agree?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I think as Canadians we need to look only at the examples of Poundmaker, Big Bear, or Louis Riel to understand that sometimes invocation of the rule of law has been used against indigenous peoples to perpetrate historic injustices. That should be clear to everyone in this room and to all Canadians.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Then just let me help you here. It took you three days to come up with an agreement in principle with the hereditary chiefs. I think it's called “political will”.

I have just one last question. In light of the situation with the Wet'suwet'en, is it critical that we achieve the full adoption and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples? The last time your government stalled it. It's critical that we pass it. What's your timeline?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I agree with the historic nature of UNDRIP, and I want to recognize the contribution of Romeo Saganash in putting forward that bill. It had the full support of our government, and it is something that we are resolutely committed to as a government. I commend Minister Bennett for achieving in four days what couldn't be achieved in 23 years. It's very important for everyone—

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Sorry, Minister Miller, I appreciate that we do have some serious questions here. I feel like we're getting into story time.

We're dealing with a crisis on a number of fronts. I heard about all the goodwill here, but the reality is that your party has been in power for 91 years out of the last 120. The policies of colonization and genocide have come from Liberal governments, so when I hear about no running water and a housing crisis, when I hear about the lack of adequate health care and third-world living conditions, I know these aren't by accident. They are a result of government policies that you and your colleagues have pushed over the years.

Let's connect it to a crisis we're dealing with here and right now. People are very concerned about the disproportionate impact that coronavirus is set to have on indigenous people. We have to look no further than H1N1 to know exactly how hard it hit the most vulnerable, particularly people in my part of the country. Do you know the rate at which indigenous people were hit by the H1N1 virus in northern Manitoba? I'll help you. It was six times the average rate. When it came to Nunavut, it was 45 times.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

What's your point of order?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

With respect, both ministers will be returning here on Thursday. A lot of these questions regarding coronavirus and so on, I believe, can be directed at that point. I think they're here today, and we're here—

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

With respect, it's a matter of life and death, and let me connect it to our discussion today.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sorry. I'm asking for his point of order.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Today they are here for a very specific reason.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

I can't believe we're delaying this over questions on the coronavirus.