Mr. Speaker, I do not know where to begin. The minister makes a very nice emotional appeal. This is what the minister always does when she is answering questions about the Nisga'a treaty. It is the emotional appeal. Is it not time that we resolved this? Is it not time that we formed a new relationship with aboriginal people? Is it not time that we put the dark history of our country behind us and got on with a new relationship?
Obviously everybody agrees with that but she is not answering the questions. She is not answering the constitutional questions. She is not answering the charter questions. She is not responding to our question with respect to section 25 of the charter being able to trump the individual rights of Nisga'a people. She is not responding to the challenge that has been raised in British Columbia that the government has violated sections 91 and 92 of the constitution.
I cannot for the life of me understand why the minister does not respond to the specifics. She only deals in the emotional appeal. That is all she is interested in.
I ask the minister why would this government be opposed to sending the agreement to the Supreme Court of Canada for a clarification on the constitutionality and the charter of rights? These are two very important issues. Why is she opposed to referring this to the supreme court in advance of ratification? What is another few months after 130 years to make sure that we have it right, to make sure that the charter rights of the Nisga'a people are not diminished and to make sure that this agreement actually conforms to the constitution? What is she afraid of?