Qujannamiik, Iksivautaq.
I first want to apologize for coming in late and missing what I missed from the rest of the table. I ended up in the wrong room.
Welcome to everyone. It's wonderful to see everyone here. You're a very strong reminder that we are doing this to make sure we respect indigenous people's rights.
To respond to Jaime's concerns, the last three meetings I think have been quite pivotal. They have been very important because clause 8 is not just any other clause. It's a very important clause, and I think that's why we're working so hard to make sure we get it right. From my perspective, it's not about making it perfect but about us doing the right thing.
When we first started this study on making sure we do our part as parliamentarians to recognize the Métis right to self-government, it was always uncomfortable for me because that should not be a parliamentarian's job. It's a very colonial process and it's something that unfortunately we're forced to do because of our job.
When we're discussing clause 8, we need to make sure we're respecting as many indigenous people's rights as possible. Since the study began, we've heard such a wide diversity of input from first nations and from Métis.
It's been concerning how this bill came about, how voices were ignored. I have needed to remind myself every time I come into these studies, and in this study in particular, that we're doing our part to ensure the Métis get their right to self-government recognized. That's how important this clause is.
Unfortunately, we have come to a standstill, because we're hearing from.... I've had to do some consultations myself and I'm not satisfied yet with the amount of feedback I am getting. I really need more time to finish my consultations. I am not ready to move beyond clause 8.
I hope sincerely that I have the support of the committee for my motion to adjourn so that I can do some more consultations with the important voices that will be impacted by clause 8.
