This bill is the culmination of the last 40 years of implementing the promise of section 35 to Métis. There have been, as I stated, from 1982 up until just this past 2023, many promises that tell us we are going to get there and we are going to achieve self-government, which is an inherent right for the Métis nation.
However, time and time again.... One of our Métis rights lawyers talks about Charlie Brown and Lucy when they are going to play football: Charlie Brown goes to kick the football, but Lucy pulls the football away and Charlie Brown falls on his bum. That has happened to the Métis nation over the past 40 years. We get so close to implementing all of this work and then we “get Lucied”, as is said, and it gets taken away from us.
This piece of legislation is something that is necessary for us to continue to move forward. We really do hope that we don't get Lucied on this piece of legislation.