Mr. Speaker, in my remaining few minutes I would like to clear up any difficulties that some members opposite may have.
Let us set the record straight. Let us make absolutely sure that we are not disputing the right of Indians to honour their land treaties. That is not the issue. The issue that is before us today is how we are going to bring about accountability with this bill. How are we going to change the conditions which the hon. member for Wild Rose mentioned?
There are some questions that hang very heavily on the shoulders of elected officials on the government side of the House. Why are we denying thousands of people the right which we enjoy of self-determination in government? Why do we continue to do that? Why are we prepared to go ahead with massive land claims when the people at the grassroots want accountability? The government is not helping them to attain that.
Those areas which have accountability, to a large degree, are areas in which we do not see what the member for Wild Rose saw. The more transparency, the more accountability, the better it is for everybody. We have no right in this House to deny the term and the meaning in totality of self-government. As we go into a new century we should not be considering legislation that puts the cart before the horse.
To deny shows that this government is not really looking at reality. Government members can talk all they like about accountability and partnership, but until we put into place the machinery that brings about accountability, the machinery that brings about local grassroots governments, then we are going to continue with the mess that we have in many areas across Canada.
What I ask of this government is to not keep putting forth bills with no end to them, but to look at the reality of what is happening in Canada. Let us look at what we have to do to cure the biggest social issue facing Canada today.
The government can hide from it. Obviously it does not want to take responsibility. Sooner or later the responsibility of what goes on from coast to coast without self-government and without transparency will rest on the shoulders of government.
Why should we be promoting more avenues and more room for land claims which we agree with, but which we do not agree with if they do not contain accountability? This government is quite prepared to do that, but we are not.