Mr. Speaker, that is not true. That is false. That was a breach of a promise. That is not true and the member knows it is not true.
Let us talk about one of their most recent issues in terms of the Musqueam band case. Why are they up in arms? It is because the Federal Court of Canada most recently ruled that the Musqueam people have a legal right and title to fair rent based on market values that we all agree to. It was the Federal Court of Canada that made this rule, not the Musqueam band. It has set out the guidelines.
In terms of consultation, in 1972 the Musqueam band asked the tenants association to renegotiate the contract. They said no. In 1980, as the member points out, they asked to renegotiate the contract. They said no. In 1993 they asked to renegotiate the contract. They said “No, we are going to court”, and have not paid the rent from 1993 up until now, ostensibly using those moneys for the court fees.
The Federal Court of Canada has said that an acre of land in the best property in Canada is worth close to half a million dollars a year, but they are paying $330 a month in rent.
The Indian band in this case is willing to negotiate, to sit down with the people affected for a fair deal. That is essentially what the bill does. It provides opportunity, fair opportunity as equal Canadians.
The Reform Party wants to talk about equal Canadians. Here we have two parties wanting to sit down and negotiate. They want to break the deal. They want to create mischief and trouble and break the deal. That is not right. That is not proper. That is not representing the people of British of Columbia, the people of Alberta. I am asking the member, as he did in the standing committee, to do the right thing and support the bill again.
The people representing those 14 first nations have a right after 10 years of consultation to good and decent representation in the House. It is incumbent upon members of parliament debating the issue—and we have heard today that they have an obligation—to pass the bill and do the right thing for those people. What do they want to do with their bill and their lands? They want to commercialise it so that they can form commercial contract relationships with non-aboriginal people.
They do not want it. The member from the Sunshine Coast actually stood and said “We want them to consult with us before they build something on their land”. I cannot remember a municipality having to do that. They want to impose unfair rules on the first nations, put chains on the first nations and drag them back to the dark ages, but we will not let it happen. We will stand here and represent these issues.
Also speaking of consultation, the B.C. Association of Municipalities has met with the Musqueam band on eight occasions and has recently submitted a letter concluding that the discussion papers attached here are a very good starting point for the negotiation and ultimately the finalization of a reciprocal consultation agreement. They are working out these processes with the affected band and it is working well.
Most recently the chief of the Squamish nation has met with the mayor of North Vancouver, met with the mayor of West Vancouver and the mayor of the North Vancouver District. They have set up a consultation process. They did not mention that today. They do not want that consultation process because they do not want the outcomes.
I suggest to them the reason they flip flop here so unashamedly is that they are scaremongering. They are trying to scare the good people of British Columbia. They are trying to set up a scheme to pose to Nisga'a, but we will not buy it. The Canadian people will not buy it and we will oppose it.