Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I want to read an excerpt from the Constitution of Alberta Amendment Act, so that everyone understands an outstanding constitution obligation on behalf of Alberta. It begins:
Whereas the Metis were present when the Province of Alberta was established and they and the land set aside for their use form a unique part of the history and culture of the Province; and
Whereas it is desired that the Metis should continue to have a land base to provide for the preservation and enhancement of Metis culture and identity and...to attain self-governance under the laws of Alberta and, to that end, Her Majesty in right of Alberta is granting title to land to the Metis Settlements General Council; and
Whereas Her Majesty in right of Alberta has proposed the land so granted be protected by the Constitution of Canada—
Dramatic pause.
—but until that happens it is proper that the land be protected by the constitution of the Province...
That is Alberta.
We have an outstanding constitutional obligation on the part of the Province of Alberta. It's massive. When we look at Manitoba, for example, they had an outstanding obligation to the Métis. They went to court in 2013 for over 1.4 million acres of land. The Supreme Court decided that the province must return that to the Métis.
We have a job here as parliamentarians to make sure that Alberta's constitutional amendment under section 43 is adhered to. Albertans have fought hard to recognize the Métis people. Métis people have fought hard so that Canada recognizes them. I'm proud to be the first member of a Métis settlement ever elected to this place. I'd be remiss if I did not ensure that this constitutional imperative was understood by Canada and that we had true action to make sure that this land is protected by our Constitution in the highest law.
To President Herb Lehr, do you have any comments on the Constitution and your desire to see our lands protected by the Canadian Constitution?