Mr. Martin Reiher at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee

On November 30th, 2023. See this statement in context.

November 30th, 2023 / 5:10 p.m.

Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Treaties and Aboriginal Government, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Martin Reiher

Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I don't know if it's my place to present a position on this issue.

I think the minister has indicated that he is willing to hear about the amendments that will be proposed and that he will examine them carefully. Our role will then be to support him in this work.

At this time, our position, as public servants, is that the current version of Bill C‑53 achieves the objectives pursued. These objectives are essentially to recognize the inherent rights of certain communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, and to recognize that the indigenous governments mentioned represent these communities in terms of the rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act,1982. The bill proposes a mechanism for approving future treaties.

See context to find out what was said next.