Minister, I'd like to discuss a very specific case. I'd like either you or Ms. Grant-John to answer my questions.
A married couple opened a service station on a reserve. They subsequently separated and got a divorce. When the divorce became final, the wife was unable to recover her half of the business. This incident occurred in Quebec.
My question is this: as part of your consultative process and in keeping with your plans to draft new legislation, did you or do you intend to take into account the laws that apply in Quebec?
You stated the following in your address, “Reserves shall remain for the use and benefit of First Nations for which they were set aside.” What exactly do you mean by that? What implications does this statement have for my client? I did in fact act as legal counsel in this matter. Will this case be settled sometime in the next 20 years, or will we have to wait even longer, as people have been doing for many years already?