Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that the member accuses the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development of not being close to the grassroots. In fact, over the last two years he has met with more band members, more chiefs and more aboriginal people than certainly has the entire caucus of the Reform Party.
I would underscore that the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development has the full confidence of the aboriginal peoples unlike their view of the Reform Party which is certainly not their greatest ally.