Mr. Speaker, I rise to give the government fair warning not to use its majority in the House to invoke closure or time allocation in order to pass the Nisga'a treaty, trashing democracy like the NDP government has done in B.C. this week.
This Liberal government had better not slam the door on Canadians who want to debate this treaty. It should at least listen to its B.C. Liberal cousins.
The government should not even introduce the Nisga'a treaty in the House because the people of B.C. have not had a democratic say on the treaty.
For over 100 years the Nisga'a people have been waiting for fair and equitable compensation. Let us do it right and in the right way. Why the big rush?
The official opposition challenges the government to have a free vote in the House on the treaty because it is a precedent that will have national implications.
We do not want one problem solved and 10 more problems created.