Mr. Chair, we all know that the concern of Canada with this declaration is the free, prior and informed consent. Once, this government endorsed the declaration. It stated categorically and without nuance that, indeed, this would not affect Canadian law.
We see the UN declaration as an aspirational document. The rights of aboriginal peoples are protected in Canada, not only by section 35. They enjoy the same rights as all others through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Moreover, when we amended the Canadian Human Rights Act so that it applied to all first nations in Canada, his party voted against it.