Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member across the floor for his diligence in promoting this issue. I have a large first nations population in my community, and to be perfectly frank, I was not necessarily aware of this issue and how important it was to the first nations community or that the compensation offered by the government is in fact somewhat of an insult.
First, the compensation is coming so late, so long after the debate, that our treatment and fairness of veterans in general has been absolutely deplorable in the country. I think we stand to learn something from the first nations community on this particular issue of the treatment of our veterans.
Within the first nations that I work with, the veterans of wars, the warriors, the people who have defended the community, are treated with the highest regard. They are considered the most important in society next to the matriarchs, for in that defence of community they have allowed the community and culture to continue.
Let us contrast that with how our federal government has treated veterans: as an afterthought. We cannot even pull together a full standing committee on the issue because we just do not consider it an issue or of relevance. In learning from the first nations community in respect to how they treat their warriors, their veterans, the government could come a long way in understanding what it is to sacrifice for one's country.
Young people in Canada have lost the memory of that sacrifice. A cynical person would say that the government's lack of urgency and failure to be forthcoming on veterans affairs means that it is simply waiting for veterans to no longer be with us. A cynical person would say that, but I am not at that point yet.
The government is looking for congratulations on this $20,000 in compensation. The government members would like us to pat them on the back and say what a wonderful job they have done.
It reminds me of the hepatitis C debate. It is very similar. Now that the government has finally been forced to address the issue, it is looking for accolades on its ability to compensate victims when it knew from the beginning that this should have been done.
Similarly, this is the case with first nations veterans, who with all good intentions went to war on behalf of this country, defended it with life and limb and came back to this country without recognition and without compensation. They had to wait not months or years but decades in order to finally be considered full and active members of the veterans' community.
It is also in contrast to how the veterans themselves have included first nations within their communities. When I go to the Legion halls, I see that veterans are considered on a par with and of the same class as any non-aboriginals who participated in the war. That is the excellent status and class of the veterans' community, which neither this government nor governments prior have exemplified.
Underlying this issue is respect for the Métis nation within our country, but the government seems very reluctant to give any acknowledgement of or full recognition to the Métis because it is worried about where that road will lead in recognizing aboriginal rights and title. The Métis remain a second class. They remain an “other” in society. They are not brought completely to the table and are always given second, third or fourth consideration after the first nations with full rights and title. If the government ever were to acknowledge this, what horrors would be upon us: to actually consider compensation and accommodation for the Métis nations that exist within our country.
There is strong support for this group. A particular sign is the young people within the Métis nation who are now coming forward, speaking strongly on behalf of their rights and looking for recognition in our Constitution and our government.
If the government is looking for congratulations on its rather slow and insulting process, it is not going to get it from this side of the House, particularly not from this corner of the House. It is absolutely deplorable that anyone on the government side can stand in this House and say that the government has done right by first nations.
Nor has it done right by veterans. These people who gave so much to allow this very structure and concept of democracy to exist are the same people we slap in the face and give late and poor recourse to when the time comes.
The hon. member from across the floor said it well when he mentioned that veterans are not the types to come forward cap in hand looking for proper compensation; I think the expression he used was “looking to get rich quick”. These are men and women of pride who consider their work for the country to have been done with pride, and they have been insulted for not months, not years, but decades.
The NDP stands in support of this motion. We congratulate the member again for his persistence in this matter. We look forward to quick passage of the motion.