Mr. Chair, there are times in the House when a member comes forward with a question or a speech that is truly exceptional. The member for Newmarket—Aurora in this instance exceeded even his own very high standard with the calibre of that question.
He does raise a very important point. Canada has advanced a number of modern treaties and agreements since the 1970s, but in many cases the pace of progress has just been too slow. Negotiations can take a decade or more. To my colleague's point, indigenous communities are forced to take on debt to be able to negotiate. The government recognizes that this is not right. Budget 2018 includes new measures to increase the number of modern treaties and agreements.
For example, the government will replace the use of loans with non-repayable contributions to fund indigenous participation. The government has also created separate permanent bilateral mechanisms to better serve first nations, Inuit, and the Métis nation. This will allow us to enable crown-indigenous co-operation on priority setting and joint policy development.
The government is also moving forward with the dismantlement of old colonial structures, including replacing Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada with two new departments.
Moving forward, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada will ensure there is progress on the recognition of existing rights and that new treaties and new self-government agreements are consistent with the principles underlying reconciliation and a renewed relationship.
At the same time, Indigenous Services Canada will work with indigenous partners to improve the quality of life of first nations, Inuit, and the Métis nation and close the gap between indigenous peoples and non-indigenous Canadians on issues such as housing, education, health care, and access to clean water.