Mr. Speaker, I would like to voice my disappointment and concern over the process that just took place. How can we expect to believe the provisions of the bill if the drafter of the bill and the supporters of the bill would put us through a process of not allowing us to debate the amendments and bills fully and properly?
The amendments we are putting forth would have had some impact on our decision whether or not to support the bill at third reading. Having been through a process which I believe is a real abuse of the parliamentary process, I do not hold out real hope for the success of the agreements these bills bring into effect.
Even more so, it goes to emphasize the serious concerns we are raising in the amendments we are bringing forward. The first amendment to clause 5(2) has the effect of removing from the agreement those 10 First Nations that have not yet signed final agreements.
Those 10 First Nations would be the Carcross-Tagish First Nation, the Dawson First Nation, the Kluane First Nation, the Kwanlin Dun First Nation, the Liard First Nation, the Little Salmon-Carmacks First Nation, the Ross River Dena Council, the Selkirk First Nation, the Ta'an Kwach'an Council, and the White River First Nation.
Those First Nations, as well as the four First Nations covered by this agreement, should have genuine concern with the process. We are abolishing the designation of an aboriginal band in this piece of legislation and replacing it with an organization called a first nation.
Under the Indian Act and under present legislation the rights of aboriginal peoples are protected as Indian bands. Until the
bill becomes legislation and has royal assent the 10 First Nations are in limbo. They have lost their rights as aboriginal bands and have not yet attained rights as First Nations. If I were a member of one of these bands I would be certainly concerned with situation. The whole process calls into question what we are trying to achieve.
If I were a member of one of those First Nations I would have seriously considered the situation before being willing to sell my rights as an aboriginal person for the few dollars being provided here. Certainly there are legal questions and legal concerns about where this process leaves the aboriginal rights afforded to aboriginals through the treaty process, through the Indian Act and legislation that has gone before.
Through a simple amendment to the legislation before us in the bill those First Nations could lose their aboriginal rights and they could be extinguished in that process. Not only do I believe these things, but I have been contacted by a number of First Nations groups that also have the problem. Even a number of the groups that have yet to sign on with final agreements covered under the umbrella agreement have those concerns, particularly the extinguishment of the right of the tax exempt status. That should be of great concern.
Further to that the 10 nations that have not signed on will not come before Parliament to be examined, to be evaluated and to be discussed. Where does it leave us as members of Parliament when we abdicate our responsibility as a Parliament to examine legislation before it and delegate that authority to the governor in council?
If there is nothing different in the next 10 agreements why are they not signed on as final agreements at this point? If there are different provisions in the 10 agreements why should not Parliament have a chance to examine these differences, to debate them and to discuss them? If we as parliamentarians do not need to examine the 10 future agreements why are we going through the somewhat convoluted process of examining the four that are there?
There are some very serious questions to be answered. I hoped we could have had support for this amendment as well as the other two amendments that we proposed. Clearly that is not to be. We are not to have serious discussion and serious debate on the issues. That saddens me truly for Canada's parliamentary process, for Canada's people, and for Canada's aboriginal people. It is a sad day for the process.