Mr. Speaker, the Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in Canada’s history.
On February 1, 2017, the government announced the launch of a national process to resolve these claims in a compassionate, respectful, and fair manner, as a way forward towards reconciliation and healing. On February 28, 2017, Canada met with counsel representing all of the class actions as a first step in negotiating an agreement in principle to resolve Sixties Scoop litigation.
A negotiated settlement could allow the parties to go beyond the remedies that can be granted by the courts by exploring concrete ways to also address the culture, traditions, and customs that have been lost. We believe this is the best way to achieve healing and reconciliation.
Negotiation rather than litigation is the government’s preferred route to settle differences and right historical wrongs. This commitment is demonstrated by the settlement of the Anderson class actions and the recent appointment of Thomas Isaac as ministerial special representative to lead the exploratory discussions in the Gottfriedson class action.
The government is committed to working together to achieving a constructive national resolution to the painful legacy of the Sixties Scoop.