Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to speak today, as only about 16 opposition MPs will get an opportunity to speak because closure has been imposed by the government. There are 24 members of parliament from British Columbia alone who should have the opportunity to speak to this motion, but will be denied by a government that does not believe in democracy.
We need to look at this issue. All of us are concerned about the native people of this country. The United Nations has condemned Canada for its treatment of native people. We have thrown treaties at them. We have thrown money at them. We have thrown programs at them. We have thrown Indian affairs concepts at them. We still have the same problems today that we have had for so long.
We have developed an Indian industry in the country, much of it run by white people. We have put in over $7 billion, at least $5 billion of which was used up by the industry itself, never reaching the grassroots people. We have chiefs and councils working against the grassroots people who we in the House should be protecting and improving their way of life.
We have tried to amend our consciences. I guess that is what we have been doing over the last 30 years. Look what we have. We have told native people that they can ignore the hunting, fishing and logging rules. We have told them that they can avoid income tax and sales tax, as well as Bill C-68. We have told them that they can be admitted to school with lower grades, have employment quotas for preferences, can invade parks and block roadways and we will just ignore it. Are we doing them a favour?
What are we doing for these people? I am sure the member for Wild Rose could tell us in great detail because he has been on the reserves, has seen the grassroots people and talked with them right across the country. The reality is that they do not have sewer and water facilities. They have a crime rate that is four and a half times greater than the rest of the population. There is a high suicide rate, three times more AIDS, no initiative, and alcohol and drug abuse is at 62%. That is the reality of what the Indian affairs policy of the country has given the native people.
In my riding, Yolanda Redcalf, a Sunchild O'Chiese member on reserve, went on a 45 day hunger strike because of housing conditions. The answer from Indian affairs was, finally we will give in to her, shut her up and we will not worry about the rest of the people. That happens over and over again. That is the policy of the government.
We need to deal with this huge problem, which is probably as great as the Quebec unity issue. It is a problem that will face us for many, many years to come.
Let us talk about some other groups that have come to the country. I often hear that we are the ones who caused the problem. To a great extent I expect that we are. As one person told me in Kitchener last week, we should think of the refugees who came to this country. Let us go back to the Chinese population who built the railway across the country. What about the Italians who came? My wife's parents came to this country with six kids and less than $100.
In Kitchener I talked with two Polish brothers. I talked to members of the Serbian and Bosnian communities. They said “Listen, when we came here we wanted to work. We wanted to build something better for ourselves”.
What have we done to the native people to destroy their initiative? Why are they not starting businesses? Why are they not building something for themselves and for their families? It is because of a racist policy that the federal government, largely Liberal over the last 30 years, has put forward.
As a party we believe in equality for all people. We believe that people should have the same status, no matter what their religion, colour or race. Everyone is equal. As soon as we start giving special status to people we start the decay and the decline which we see today. It is the special status which some Liberal government long ago decided to give these people that is at the root of the problem. We are not doing them any favours.
Let us look at what is happening in Atlantic Canada today. Let us look at the salmon fishery on the Pacific coast. The same thing has happened around the world. The homelands were given to the people of South Africa. There was once a guy in Germany who said that people with blue eyes and blonde hair were better. What is the difference when the Liberal government—