Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday of this week I rose in the House to ask the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development a question of great importance to me, to my colleagues and particularly to the members of the Slave Lake bands.
The hon. member chose to blatantly ignore the question which showed disrespect to me and to the grand chiefs and chiefs who brought this issue to our attention.
I did not simply ask the question of my own accord. We had contacted members who were present at the meeting between the minister and the Slave Lake bands. I was told that they felt the minister's conduct at the meeting was insulting and shocking. They said his comments, as they pertained to the Reform Party, were indeed racist.
My colleague, the hon. member for Nanaimo-Cowichan, who was upset by the lack of response by the minister to my question, was prompted to pose the same one later in the question period.
The minister, when asked to provide a direct, clear answer, once again avoided the question. He said: "I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that the Reform Party does not hate Indians", but he did not deny or admit saying to a group of aboriginal people that the Reform Party hates Indians and they want to be seen as the defender of the white man. I believe the hon. member has a duty and responsibility as a minister of the crown to answer this question.
I and other members of the Reform Party have established close ties with many First Nations people and leaders over the years. This kind of comment, if made by the minister, amounts to a racist and slanderous attack on members of the Reform Party by a minister of the crown and defames us in the eyes of the aboriginal people and all Canadians. Nothing short of an honest and straightforward answer will suffice in a matter of this importance.
I was present in the House today when the question was posed in almost identical words to the minister for the third time. I also have the "blues" that indicate his answer. Again he does not clearly indicate whether he had made this statement. He only deals with a portion of the statement that has to do with the hate of the Reform Party for Indian people and does not cover the other part of the question, that we want to represent the white man, in effect against the Indian people.
Although it appeared to me that the minister had come a certain way in resolving this issue, it has not been resolved in my mind nor in the minds of my colleagues within the Reform Party.
We have also received a joint affidavit from people who were present at that meeting when this incident occurred. Eight of the leaders have signed a document and sworn before a notary public what actually happened at that meeting. I am prepared to table a copy of that here today.
I feel the minister should resolve this matter so that we can get on with our business and he can get on with the affairs of his ministry.