Mr. Speaker, in their speeches on this bill, government members made references to freedom, respect and democracy for aboriginal people.
However, many groups representing aboriginal people have called for the government to remove paragraphs 3(1)(b) and 3(1)(c), which give immeasurable discretionary power to the minister to subject certain aboriginal communities to the legislation. Instead of giving them the power to appoint a new chief, the government wants to subject these communities to rules governing that process. The parliamentary secretary must understand that there is a difference between the two.
I would like my colleague to comment on the fact that this measure, this discretionary power, is undemocratic and does not honour the intent of the law.