Mr. Speaker, the federal government, particularly the Minister of Health and the minister of Indian affairs, has an obligation to respond quickly to the recommendations made by the royal commission on aboriginal peoples in its special report on suicide among aboriginal people released last week.
The royal commission argues that there has been a steady stream of studies and reports by aboriginal and non-aboriginal analysts over at least 20 years which has called attention to the problem of suicide among aboriginal people but there has been little result. The studies and reports have presented a long march of compelling evidence that aboriginal people have been dying by their own hands much too often and for far too long. Yet Canadian governments have never made suicide prevention a high priority issue for themselves.
The royal commission's recommendations stress the urgency of this significant matter. This time the federal government must respond quickly and adequately to ensure that the long process of healing can finally begin.