Mr. Speaker, I am sure that is a debate for another time and another place.
I would like to refer to a letter that was given to a Canadian by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. It states:
Dear [Sir]: I refer to my letter dated December 10, 1997, regarding your entitlement to registration as an Indian pursuant to the provisions of the Indian Act. I have now received the required documentation.
I am pleased to confirm that you are now registered as an Indian in the Indian Register in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6(1)(a) of the Indian Act under the name of ... born on ...
Your Registry Number is ...
Here we have a letter issued to a son of a veteran who was born in Holland, that recognizes him as an aboriginal Canadian, and yet the Department of Citizenship and Immigration does not have the fortitude, does not have the gall, and does not have anything between its head to say why it is not recognizing him as a Canadian?
Certainly and clearly, the bills that we should be debating in the House are far more important than the little skimpy Bill C-57.