Mr. Speaker, I will take a few moments to explain the government's latest move forward in meeting our commitments in the Speech from the Throne.
In the Speech from the Throne, the government pledged to tackle the most pressing problems facing aboriginal people. We made a firm commitment to support first nations initiatives, and that means strengthening their communities.
Less than 90 days later, we are making a significant step toward meeting that commitment. As I announced at Siksika on Monday, we are moving forward with first nations on the governance initiative. The first phase has begun already, the consultation phase.
In my visits to more than 100 first nations communities over the past year, people have told me repeatedly what they consider are their top priorities to strengthen how their communities are run. The people had a lot to say. They talked about women's rights, they talked about voting rights and they talked about practices that connect band members to their own governments.
I have also heard that if we are going to make this work, band governments and even other first nations agencies have to be strengthened. First nations needs stronger tools to govern. They need clear legal powers and they need stability and long term sustainability.
Mr. Speaker, the reason I wanted to speak to the House for a few moments this afternoon is that it is just as important for the House to understand what this initiative will not contain.
Let me be clear. It is not to alter the inherent right to self-government. It is not to affect the federal government's treaty relationship with first nations nor first nations treaty rights. It will not address band status and membership entitlements or aboriginal rights and title. Nor will the powers of first nations in relation to lands and resources be the focus of attention. Finally, it is not a replacement for the Indian Act.
We will continue our work, as we have in the past, in each of these areas. This initiative is about addressing the governance issues facing first nations communities, issues the 130 year old Indian Act did not envision.
This initiative will build an interim step toward self-government. It will provide the authority for first nations to have control over their day to day administration and management.
As we move toward self-government, the question we all must ask ourselves is this: will the status quo be acceptable until self-government for all first nations is achieved? I suggest the answer to that question is no.
How do we build that interim step? I can tell the House what I have been told by first nations. We do it in consultation with first nations. Parliament will provide the vehicle for change, but first nations citizens will provide the content.
In the coming months the government will consult with first nations like never before. Within the next few weeks we will begin holding community level consultations across the country to assess the scope, options and interests to be dealt with in the legislation. These consultations will take place during the spring and summer of this year, with the active participation of representatives from first nations and aboriginal organizations, from the leadership and the communities. Results from these consultations will lead into the proposed legislation.
As we also have other innovative new ways to consult more thoroughly with first nations people and their leadership, I want to spend a couple of minutes talking about them, because these tools are part of a unique and different process that the department and the minister would like to use to consult with first nations.
For the first time we will extensively use videos, TV and print media to raise awareness of what is being proposed. We have set up a 1-800 line with the Bella Bella call centre at the Heiltsuk First Nation in British Columbia to hear what individual band members have to say.
However, I am most excited about communicating through our website. For the first time people will be able to access information on the web, write their comments via e-mail or chat with first nations members from across the country to exchange ideas and put forward suggestions.
The government will consult with first nations to consider changes to the Indian Act, which has not been changed significantly since 1867. I hope that my opposition colleagues will not take issue with this change to one of Canada's oldest pieces of legislation, which they may be attached to. There may be a temptation to focus on the obstacles and challenges, but I would warn the opposition that is not the point.
Too often some of the opposition in the House has focused the blame on the failures of a few instead of looking for inspiration to the successes found among many first nations. This consultation process will look for what works and build on those successes. I hope the opposition will change its approach and credit those successes.
With this initiative I hope to strip away the powers of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development as they relate to the day to day governance of first nations and put them where they belong, in the hands of first nations, in an interim step to self-government.
I would hope also that the opposition will not confuse this initiative with its motion on financial accountability. This initiative is about listening to first nations people, councils and chiefs who will provide best practices on governance systems. It is not about a few examples of the mistakes made in the past. It is about people, not politics, and it is about hearing the views of first nations people, not telling them about the opinions, informed or otherwise, of politicians.
This is not about weakening first nations, as the Alliance would have us do. Instead, this is about strengthening first nations, about building strong, vibrant and successful first nations leaders and communities for the generations which follow us.
I hope I will get the support of the House to improve the lives of first nations people as we enter into this consultation.