Mr. Speaker, I have a comment and then a question. The member mentioned how municipalities can do their business. Municipalities have a municipal act and they can do business and fall under provincial guidelines.
In the year I was first elected, I met a fellow from one of the first nation communities. He was 107 years old. I was absolutely honoured to meet him. He told me about when the police came into town with the representative of the Crown and the chief of the first nation signed on to the treaty. He did not tell me about a municipality making a representation to government as to whether or not they should do anything. It was the first nation on the same ground as the Crown. This is what we are talking about here.
The member is quite right when she says that first nations can go ahead and do this. I say to the member that they are doing it already and they do not need this bill. However, there is a very big risk that this bill will jeopardize other first nations who do not want it. There are 600 and some first nations that do not want it. How in good conscience is the member able to support a bill when 600-plus first nations have said they do not want it? Who is it we are representing here?
I suggest to the member that there is no need for the bill. First nations who want this can go ahead and do it. I would like her to tell me why they are not able to do this right now.