Mr. Speaker, in stark contrast to his rhetoric about social justice, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development is cutting his budget for the next fiscal year by $322 million, or 6%, while leaving intact his department's spending on administration and management.
Any cut to social programs is outrageous when his government is in fact faced with a surplus of $9 billion and the needs are so urgent.
Will the minister agree today to reverse these unfair cuts and to go back to his cabinet demanding an increase in spending that reflects the desperate need that exists among aboriginal communities today?