Jaime Battiste at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee

On November 28th, 2023. See this statement in context.

November 28th, 2023 / 5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS

I have only five minutes to ask questions.

Would the legal counsel be comfortable...? We have legislation that's currently going through, Bill S-13, which reads:

Every enactment is to be construed as upholding the Aboriginal and treaty rights of Indigenous peoples recognized and affirmed by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and not as abrogating or derogating from them.

Would AFN be more comfortable if we inserted that exact language within this legislation to ensure that nothing in this act could abrogate or derogate from first nations' recognized rights?

See context to find out what was said next.