Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the ongoing land claim dispute in Caledonia.
Members may ask why I wish to speak to that issue when the affected community is not within my riding of Hamilton Mountain. I do so by default because the local MP refuses to stand up for her constituents. I do so because it is a dispute that has pitted neighbour against neighbour, customer against small business owner and citizen against the police. The impact of these deteriorating relationships is being felt not just in Caledonia but throughout our entire region.
Last May, I wrote to the Minister of Indian Affairs urging him not to continue the tradition of his Liberal predecessors who believed that prolonged fruitless discussions were cheaper than meaningful negotiations.
Yes, the minister is right that the disputed land was originally sold by the provincial government and, yes, it is also true that the McGuinty Liberals must accept responsibility for the actions of the OPP, but the federal government has the sole constitutional responsibility for dealing with land claims.
In our community, we no longer have patience for political finger pointing. We need the government to step up to the plate and resolve all the issues raised by the Six Nations land claim so that Caledonia and our region can heal.