Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the NDP, I urge the government to change its approach to the issue of residential school lawsuits. The approach to date has been far too legalistic, has threatened the work and viability of some churches, has delayed compensation for victims and has been an attempt to evade the extent of the federal government's responsibility by obscuring the fact that the churches acted on behalf of the federal government and not on their own. No one but lawyers and the tendency of this government to drag things out rather than deal with them fairly is being served by the current approach.
The appointment of the Deputy Prime Minister to talk to the churches about this issue is, we hope, a good sign. The churches are willing to accept responsibility and pay their fair share of compensation. However, to burden them with all the legal fees associated with the federal government constantly naming them as third parties in the suits, shows either a hostility to the churches or a cynicism at the heart of Liberal strategy on this issue that will no longer go unnoticed by Canadians who want justice for aboriginal victims, but who also value the ongoing work of the churches.