Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 13th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks for that.

Mr. Battiste, did you have your hand up?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Yes.

While I think it's a good thing for the committee and I think your heart's in the right place, I think the family would much rather hear from you directly, Arnold.

If that is something that committee members individually.... Just speaking from Mi'kmaq culture, to receive something from a committee or a government as a whole won't be as heartfelt than if you take the time to reach out to them yourself. If you require a phone number, I can get it from Regional Chief Ghislain Picard.

I think that would be much more appreciated by the family than a general something from a committee that gets voted on. I don't know if that's reconciliation.

If we're going to send our regrets and have a conversation, that should be a conversation you have with the family. If you need that help, I would be able to help you get that phone number from the regional chief of Quebec.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I suppose what could be done in terms of the general approach in the way we work as a committee, without regard to motions, is that if we all wish to send condolences together as a group, based on what Mr. Battiste just told us, that might be the way to respond, rather than the regulatory process, which has kind of a cold edge to it.

To Mr. Anandasangaree's point of why we didn't do the previous one or whether we would do the next one—weeks don't pass without awful things happening.

We'll leave that where it is and perhaps have further discussion on it later.

As it stands now, my suggestion would be that we will establish the subcommittee for agenda review and bring forward the motions we've received notice on at this point. Does that sound fair?

Let me ask Mr. Anandasangaree whether the government would be amenable to that.

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

Yes, that's fair, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Is there any further discussion? With the way we have it now, we have most of the documents.

Madame Bérubé, please go ahead.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

I just wanted to say that it does not preclude parties from presenting their motions later, as long as mine is debated today.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Do you wish to debate your motion today?

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Yes, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm at the mercy of the committee.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

I asked for clarity in the beginning. The understanding I have is that the subcommittee does this work and provides a recommendation to the committee of the whole. That's the normal practice, from my understanding. I feel like this steps outside of the normal practice, but of course this is at the discretion of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Exactly.

We'll follow the process as outlined. We would require unanimous consent to go there, but I'm not seeing it. We'll leave the notices as they are and they'll come before the agenda review.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Chair, can I comment quickly?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Yes, go ahead.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Maybe the answer was said right there, but I want to ask something as well. I have one motion that does not require a study. I'll read it again:

That the committee recognizes the immediate need for investment in broadband in Northern Canada to ensure remote communities are not left behind during this pandemic, and this be reported to the House.

I think this is something we can all get behind, and I'm just wondering if we have unanimous consent to discuss it right now.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

It's reflective of our previous conversation. I'm sure that it will be included in one of the motions that we have before us with regard to COVID. I think we need to at least, for the benefit our first nations, Métis and Inuit people, ensure that we get right down to the business of the obstructions to quality of life that currently exist because of COVID. That is certainly one of them. I suggest that, rather than having our committee move endorsements of positions, we just stick to the business at hand, which is the approval of studies and then the enlistment of witnesses.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Chair, is it possible for me to ask for unanimous consent on that or is that your decision?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We've heard the suggestion from Mr. Melillo. Rather than asking for unanimous consent, and as the Speaker would say, is there anyone who does not wish to approve unanimous consent?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Can I hear the wording again? Are we just talking about northern indigenous people? I'm from a first nations community where a lot of people don't have broadband and Internet. Is that something that can be expanded to all indigenous people across Canada who are suffering and aren't able to have broadband and Internet?

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

I would certainly be open to that. I'll just read it again as it is.

It says, “That the committee recognizes the immediate need for investment in broadband in Northern Canada to ensure remote communities are not left behind during this pandemic, and this be reported to the House.”

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

We'll have Mr. Anandasangaree, Mr. Powlowski and Mr. Battiste.

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

Mr. Chair, this is very much in line with my previous intervention. I would like some clarity with respect to committees passing motions like this. I have not been party to these in the previous Parliament. We've had two motions from the floor that essentially are asking for this committee to take a position on issues.

I don't have enough parliamentary knowledge on that to say if this is appropriate or not. I would like to get some clarity from the clerk on this.

[Marcus Powlowski, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

I agree with both motions. However, I also agree with Mr. Anandasangaree about whether we are going to be having similar kinds of motions asking us to make some broad statement with every meeting. Although we maybe agree upon it, this seems to be a whole new route.

I'm not sure we want to do this. I'm not sure if this isn't taking away from the functions of the committee if, at every committee potentially, we can be presented with a whole bunch of similar motions. We may agree upon them, but I'm not sure there's much to be gained in doing this.

This could take up our whole committee. We could all propose something that we would probably all agree on: Let's put a statement up about this, let's put a statement up about that or let's put a statement up about something else.

Even though we agree on it, I'm not sure what we gain from that. I think it's taking away from the functioning of the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I have Ms. Blaney, Ms. Zann and Mr. Battiste. Then I think we should wrap it up.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you for this.

I have heard several times today from several members, “our indigenous communities” and “our indigenous people”. That's colonial language. I encourage everybody to think about that. The people I belong to don't belong to Canada. They are their own independent people.

In relation to this notice of motion, I'm a little confused about it. I represent many indigenous or rural and remote communities that do not have access to broadband, which has brought forward so many concerns, especially with COVID.

I am absolutely willing to support this, but also willing to see what the committee decides moving forward. It sounds like it needs unanimous consent, so that might be a barrier.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Zann.