Thank you for the invitation to finish.
Former prime minister Pierre Trudeau famously said in 1967 that there's “no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” The state has been in the bedrooms of first nations since 1876, and it is still there, deciding who can be an Indian.
Another prime minister, Mark Carney, said two months ago, when he celebrated the stars of Heated Rivalry, that a core Canadian value is the freedom for individuals to embrace their identity and love who they choose. Unfortunately, that value seems to apply to gay men but not to first nations. Canada is robbing young indigenous women and men of their identities and forcing them to choose partners based on Indian status—not love.
In 2026, all the victims of the second generation cut-off and the 1985 cut-off are being told to wait. They can't wait longer. They should not be asked to wait longer. They should not be put in the terrible position that they are in now.