House of Commons Hansard #56 of the 35th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was aboriginal.

Topics

Health CareOral Question Period

2:50 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, first of all, breast cancer has reached epidemic proportions and it has been that way for many years. It is not recent. It concerns me very much that more has not been done for women with breast cancer in terms of research and the outcome of treatment.

In the cases the hon. member is referring to, American dollars went to fund those studies in Canada. The Canadian government did not fund those particular research studies.

As a result of what happened with these cases, I met with the Medical Research Council to assure myself and to speak with them to make sure that we always address these cases as completely and as effectively as possible.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Reform

Jan Brown Reform Calgary Southeast, AB

Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the minister's response but it was not specific to my question. I have a supplementary question.

I would like to know what progress has been made in the investigation that the minister committed to on March 17 regarding those fraudulent cases of breast cancer treatments in Montreal. Could she be specific to that question.

Health CareOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, specific to that question I answered that this was an American study.

Let me reassure hon. members and all Canadians that even though these studies were not the way they should have been, many other studies have validated the findings. They have been tested and their validity has been looked at, as have all the other problems that have been encountered with the one case in Montreal.

Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Ron MacDonald Liberal Dartmouth, NS

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Solicitor General.

Two weeks ago it came to light that the RCMP were not only spying on black civil rights leaders in Nova Scotia in the 1960s and 1970s, including one Wayne Adams who today is a minister of the provincial crown, but that internal reports of the RCMP were laced with racially insensitive and overtly racist comments about blacks.

Last Thursday before a House of Commons standing committee, RCMP commissioner Norm Inkster was given an opportunity to apologize for these statements but refused. Given the seriousness of these incidents, what actions is he contemplating to address these very disturbing incidents?

Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Windsor West Ontario

Liberal

Herb Gray LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons and Solicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand the hon. member's concern about this troubling matter.

I looked at the committee transcript. I note that at the committee, Commissioner Inkster did say that "we all regret what occurred". He also said he would take the matter "under consideration".

In view of the concerns expressed today in the question by the hon. member and which were also expressed to me by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice, I will be speaking further to the commissioner about it.

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Health. On April 21, the Minister of Health confirmed in this House that the anti-smoking media campaign to inform and educate the public, particularly young people, about the risks linked to tobacco use, was a flop. The minister also said, and I quote: "I must say that I have indeed inherited the ad campaign -launched by the previous government".

How can the minister put the blame on the previous government, since she is the one who, last February 8, decided to waste an extra $3 million on a campaign which never gave any result?

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, first I want to say that the ad campaign was effective when it was first implemented. But it is now time to change that campaign. We know how we must spend our money. We are working with the provinces and the anti-smoking groups to ensure that the next campaign will focus on the current problems and on young people, because they are the ones we want to convince to stop smoking or to avoid developing that habit.

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Bloc

Pauline Picard Bloc Drummond, QC

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister of Health: Why change the campaign if it is effective? What guarantee does the minister have that she will not once again waste millions of dollars in a California-type of campaign? What guarantee can she give us?

Tobacco ProductsOral Question Period

2:55 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, any campaign that will convince anyone to give up smoking or not to start in the first place is a terrific campaign.

The hon. member mentions the California campaign. That campaign has been particularly effective in discouraging people from smoking. I want to assure the hon. member that any campaign we embark upon will be extremely well focused, well targeted to ensure that we get every bang that we can for our buck.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Reform

Daphne Jennings Reform Mission—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is inspired by my constituents and is for the Minister of Health.

Many Canadians are purchasing bottled water or using purification systems on their chlorine treated drinking water supply and there are continued health warnings against the use of chlorine or chloramine.

Is the minister aware of the reported health risks involved with the continued use of chlorine and chloramine?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, yes, I am aware.

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Reform

Daphne Jennings Reform Mission—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Minister of Health but in view of the seriousness of this potential threat I would like it to be taken seriously. It is a serious threat to the health of Canadians resulting in increased cost to our health care system.

Will the minister launch a public investigation into the continued use of chlorine and chloramine in our drinking water in Canada?

Drinking WaterOral Question Period

3 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned with this issue. I have been on top of this issue now for a number of months. I have asked officials in my department to bring forward recommendations so that we can do something as quickly as possible.

Government Response To PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Beauséjour New Brunswick

Liberal

Fernand Robichaud LiberalSecretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs)

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Government's response to petitions.

Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994Routine Proceedings

3 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau Liberalfor the Minister of the Environment

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-23, an act to implement a convention for the protection of migratory birds in Canada and the United States.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

Canada Wildlife ActRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Diane Marleau Liberalfor the Minister of the Environment

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Canada Wildlife Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed.)

PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bernie Collins Liberal Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36, I am presenting a petition signed by 1,486 people in the constituency of Souris-Moose Mountain.

We, the undersigned residents of the province of Saskatchewan and the users of Saskatchewan's public libraries, draw to the attention of the House the following: That the library book postal subsidy is necessary for the continued operation of inter-lending services among libraries and plays a vital role in the distribution of cultural materials; that the cancellation of the subsidy or changes in the amount of the subsidy would result in severely hampering the public's access to information housed in

the libraries outside of residents' immediate area; and that maintaining the subsidy is a more efficient use of public funds than any other alternative.

Therefore, your petitioners call upon Parliament to continue the library book postal subsidy and to ensure that there will be no further erosion of the resulting library book postal rate.

(Questions answered orally are indicated by an asterisk.)

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Beauséjour New Brunswick

Liberal

Fernand Robichaud LiberalSecretary of State (Parliamentary Affairs)

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)

Shall all questions be allowed to stand?

Questions On The Order PaperRoutine Proceedings

3:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-16, an act to approve, give effect to and declare valid an agreement between Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada and the Dene of Colville Lake, Déline, Fort Good Hope and Fort Norman and the Metis of Fort Good Hope, Fort Norman and Norman Wells, as represented by the Sahtu Tribal Council, and to make related amendments to another act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Sahtu Dene And Metis Land Claim Settlement ActGovernment Orders

April 25th, 1994 / 3:05 p.m.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Kilger)

As I understand it there are still a few minutes left for questions and answers for the hon. member for Athabasca. The hon. member for Dauphin-Swan River.

Sahtu Dene And Metis Land Claim Settlement ActGovernment Orders

3:05 p.m.

Liberal

Marlene Cowling Liberal Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House on Bill C-16, the Sahtu Dene and Metis Land Claim Settlement Act.

The government is committed to the conclusion of equitable land claim settlements with the aboriginal peoples. Since taking office we have made great strides in streamlining the process of settling claims. The negotiation of comprehensive land claims is a result of a policy introduced by the Liberal government in 1973 as a response to views expressed by representatives of the aboriginal peoples and in recognition of the Calder decision handed down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The intent of this government is to achieve through negotiations appropriate and formal changes to the structure of the relationships between First Nations and the federal and provincial governments. The objective of a comprehensive claims settlement is to exchange undefined aboriginal rights for defined rights with constitutional protection. The resulting certainty benefits all.

A number of achievements, especially recent accomplishments, demonstrate the success of the comprehensive claims negotiation process. To date 10 comprehensive land claims have been settled and 11 claims are being negotiated. As well, the British Columbia Treaty Commission has received statements of intent to negotiate from 44 First Nations and aboriginal organizations.

The James Bay and northern Quebec agreement and the northeastern Quebec agreement represent Canada's first modern treaties. They were signed in 1975 and 1978 respectively. The two agreements are very similar. The Inuvialuit agreement, signed in 1984, sets out the rights and benefits of the 2,500 Inuvialuit of the western Arctic. The next agreements concluded with the Gwich'in in 1992 and the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut in 1993 contained many provisions similar to the Inuvialuit final agreement. They also include additional items such as resource revenue sharing.

In April 1990 negotiators for the Dene and Metis, Canada and the Northwest Territories initialled a final agreement for that group's overall claim. However, in July 1990 a motion of the joint Dene and Metis assembly called for the renegotiation of fundamental elements of the initial agreement, effectively rejecting the agreement as negotiated.

The legislation before the House is the result of intensive negotiations over several years which led to regional claims agreements with the Dene Metis. They are based on the April 1990 agreement. The Gwich'in of the Mackenzie Delta region were the first Dene and Metis group to negotiate a regional comprehensive claim. The Sahtu Dene and the Metis agreement is the next regional claim settlement to be concluded. The restoration of a land and resource base to sustain this aboriginal society is key to the cultural and economic viability of the communities concerned.

This government remains committed to the negotiation of comprehensive land claims settlements. As a step to fulfil our commitment to other aboriginal people without standing claims, we announced on December 20, 1993 that the Government of Canada would return immediately to the claims negotiations table with the Labrador Inuit Association without any preconditions.

As a parallel commitment to support regional self-government agreements, our government mandated the conduct of Labrador Inuit self-government negotiations concurrently with the comprehensive land claim negotiations. We are looking forward to receiving a proposal from the Labrador Inuit over the

next few weeks and we expect that tripartite discussions on that proposal, which will include the government of Newfoundland and Labrador, will begin very soon. I am optimistic that we will reach an agreement with the Labrador Inuit within a reasonable time.

Similar progress is being made with other aboriginal claimant groups. As members are aware, offshore water is the primary source of Inuit subsistence activities. This is no different for the Inuit of northern Quebec. The 1975 James Bay and northern Quebec agreement dealt with aboriginal rights to lands in the province of Quebec only. It did not address Quebec Inuit claims to islands offshore Quebec which are in the jurisdiction of the Northwest Territories and the northeast coast of Labrador.

Negotiations began in 1992 and already a framework agreement which is the first step to these negotiations has been signed by Canada, the Northwest Territories and the Quebec Inuit.

All of us have been aware of the government's various initiatives to improve the social and economic circumstances of the Innu nation in Davis Inlet in Labrador. Concurrent with these initiatives we are also negotiating the Innu nation land claim.

Negotiations toward a framework agreement began in July 1991. Substantial progress has been realized in those negotiations. There has been equally encouraging progress on the potential interim measures related to the environmental impacts of proposed development projects.

We expect the discussions which are tripartite in nature and involve participation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will result in a settlement with the Labrador Inuit and the Innu nation to provide a land and resource base, one which will promote regional development and self-sufficiency in those communities.

The government also intends to introduce settlement legislation for the Council of Yukon Indians over the next few weeks. This will complete a lengthy negotiation process, one which was begun some 20 years ago.

Negotiators for the Government of Canada, the Yukon government and the Council for Yukon Indians signed an umbrella final agreement in 1993. It establishes the basis for the negotiation of individual settlements with each of the 14 Yukon First Nations. Final land claims agreements and self-government agreements have been signed with four Yukon First Nations. Settlement and self-government legislation for these agreements will be introduced soon.

One may well ask why all of these land claims agreements are so important. The answer is both elementary and profound. These agreements are the basis on which we can provide land and resources to aboriginal people along with guaranteed participation in land and resource management in a way that provides for them their rightful place in Canadian society.

These modern treaties are the means for guaranteed participation of aboriginal peoples in effective governing structures dealing with renewable resources, land use planning, environmental impact assessment and review, and land and water regulation. In addition they provide the financial means to allow aboriginal people to develop an economic base which will sustain their futures.

It is only by clearing away the uncertainty over title to the land that we are able to assure equitable access to the development over land and resources. This becomes critical in negotiating claims south of the 60th parallel, claims which we are undertaking.

In addition to finalizing the claims in the north and beginning negotiations in Labrador we are negotiating along with the government of Quebec, the Conseil des Atikamekw et des Montagnais, CAM, claim in Quebec.

Recently the Quebec government reappointed its negotiators in another effort to accelerate the negotiations. General side tables have been established to negotiate matters such as lands and traditional activities, self-government and economic development. The parties are aiming to complete the agreement in principle by June 1995.

Negotiations with the Nisga'a are also under way in the province of British Columbia. We have approached the numerous land claims in British Columbia through a unique process.

The governments of Canada and British Columbia and representatives of First Nations have established a treaty commission to facilitate and monitor negotiations, allocate negotiation funding, and assist in dispute resolution. A further function of the commission is to make public the reports on the progress of the negotiations.

The British Columbia Treaty Commission is an impartial arm's length body designed to facilitate negotiations. Commissioners are appointed by the governments of Canada and British Columbia and by the British Columbia Summit of First Nations.

We intend that the negotiations in the province will include both comprehensive claims and self-government matters in a combined process. This will help to establish appropriate linkages between claims, structures and self-government institutions in various jurisdictional areas.

Given the importance of land and resource development in British Columbia, a joint third party consultation process has been established to address the interests of the third parties.

I have sketched for hon. members the very promising situation surrounding the comprehensive claims process in Canada today. I am proud to be able to urge them to consider favourably the Sahtu Dene and Metis land claims settlement which is before them.

Sahtu Dene And Metis Land Claim Settlement ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Reform

John Duncan Reform North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, my first question relates to the B.C. Treaty Commission which was referred to as an impartial body. Three groups are involved in those negotiations, represented by the federal and provincial governments and the First Nations.

My first question is why are third party interests and most especially the municipality or local governments that are elected and influenced by local negotiations not represented in that so-called impartial treaty commission?

My second question relates to the whole question of fee simple land transfer. Is the hon. member familiar with the recent B.C. Court of Appeal decision on the Gitksan-Wet'suwet'en case? Does the member concur that the fee simple transfer this bill talks about goes far beyond any legal precedence as expressed very well in that B.C. Court of Appeal decision?

Sahtu Dene And Metis Land Claim Settlement ActGovernment Orders

3:20 p.m.

Liberal

Marlene Cowling Liberal Dauphin—Swan River, MB

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his questions. I know hon. members on the other side of the House really like the colour red just as I do. I would like to quote a portion of the red book which I carried with me in October: "The priority of a Liberal government will be to assist aboriginal communities in their efforts to address the obstacles to their development and to help them marshal the human and physical resources necessary to build and sustain vibrant communities".

The hon. member has asked a question which I will take under advisement and my answer to his second question is no.