Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2020

Bills of Exchange Act

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, committees are the master of their own destiny. That is what I hear year after year. What happens in a particular committee? That will be interesting, as it always is. We do not know that destiny because we are not there yet.

I will be interested in it at committee and my support in this bill is as it was last time.

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge the land on which I speak today in Fredericton, which is Wolastoqiyik territory, unceded, unsurrendered land operating under the Peace and Friendship Treaties. We cannot just say these words. We must have intention and action behind them, and I implore each member of the House to do just that.

It is an honour to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-5, and I wish to thank my Conservative colleague for sharing his time with me today.

The issue of meaningful reconciliation is an issue that is important to my constituents and to people across this country, and it is particularly close to my heart for many, many reasons. The first is as a mom of indigenous children. My boys are Wolastoqiyik. They are being raised with an appreciation for their identity, language and culture.

My oldest son is in grade 3 in a public school that has made incredible efforts to not only include indigenous knowledge, history and culture but to truly celebrate it. It is front and centre at every school assembly and event, and in daily routines. There are integrated educational opportunities for all children, and there are unique learning opportunities for indigenous youth through permanent staff employed by our local first nation community, who work at the school every day in innovative and exciting ways.

My youngest son is three years old and attends an on-reserve head start program at the Welamukotuk Early Learning Centre. He receives instruction from his family members and some of our close friends. He is surrounded with love and care and dedication to culturally responsive education. Incidentally, his first day of school was on Orange Shirt Day last year. I could not help but think of the beauty of coming full circle like that, and the symbolic significance that his education will begin and proceed so differently than so many of his ancestors'.

My oldest child looks more like me, with Celtic roots and light skin, although he is proud to be indigenous. My youngest looks more like my husband, with dark skin and dark eyes. My prayer for him is always that he will not grow to experience racism and discrimination because of who he is. I pray he will not feel like he does not belong or that he is not represented in the curriculum he learns throughout his educational journey, as my husband has felt.

Another reason Bill C-5 is so important to me is due to my passion for teaching. My work in the public school system in New Brunswick was on behalf of first nation communities. I worked to include accurate history and improve access to language and cultural experiences for indigenous students, as well as to advocate for institutional reforms for enhanced social justice equity in our provincial education system.

I have seen the many ways our system continues to fail indigenous students. I have also seen the incredible resilience of indigenous students, and I have had the honour to witness inspiring growth, activism and leadership. This generation of youth is ready to tackle our biggest challenges and to lead Canada into a brighter future as the fastest-growing demographic. The seven generations concept comes to mind and reinforces the idea that we bring with us the lessons and experiences of our ancestors and that both trauma and healing pass through the bloodline to the present day, that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable and equitable world seven generations into the future.

This brings me to our responsibility as Canadians. Orange Shirt Day, in an educational context, is an opportunity to learn, honour and acknowledge the calls to action, and to create space for indigenous elders and survivors to share their truth and feel our love and appreciation. Schools, businesses and organizations across New Brunswick proudly wear orange and undertake events and activities. This takes the form of healing walks, school assemblies, language lessons, mini powwows and other creative and formative expressions.

I worry Bill C-5, which would make this day a holiday, could have the consequence of losing some of the momentum that has been built around awareness, particularly in our schools. I also worry that the concession of this day being only for federal employees may have the consequence of losing the power of the intent of a national holiday. I will certainly do all I can to prevent this in my community, and I would like to see some extra assurances with dedicated investments around this bill.

I am also not convinced the bill represents a meaningful act of reconciliation with indigenous peoples, especially considering events that are transpiring around the country. It seems to me the government makes a habit of selecting only the easiest calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, abandoning those that require genuine effort, abdicating responsibility for the hard work we must undertake.

I remind the House there is a long list of education and health outcomes that should be our focus, those that would have lasting impacts for positive change, the sorts of changes that would mean indigenous women would not have to suffer as Joyce Echaquan did in her last moments of life and the sorts of changes that would mean Chantel Moore and Rodney Levi might still be with us today.

So far, most of the change I am seeing in Canada is a result of the efforts of indigenous communities and individuals. This is unacceptable. Canada has a responsibility to make things right. Canada must make amends. Canada must have these difficult conversations and must show leadership.

Our success will be measured in the way we respond to indigenous nations on an ongoing basis when questions of sovereignty arise, as they have in Nova Scotia in recent weeks. It will be measured in the way we embrace the collective and inherent rights of indigenous peoples, the way we carry out our relationships with these nations, and the way we embolden or chastise racist commentary from Canadians who do not yet understand these rights.

I recognize that a national memorial holiday was included in the TRC, and I have committed to stand behind each call to action; therefore, I will certainly vote in favour of the bill. However, I hope the government understands its continuing responsibility to support educational initiatives and to fund events and activities around this national holiday. The work we do today in the House will have repercussions on the next seven generations. It will be the foundation of a future in which we understand the truth of our past and celebrate what we have built together.

I implore Canadians to observe this holiday, to learn the true intention behind it and to take on the challenge of becoming allies and champions of reconciliation.

I will end with a metaphor sent to me by Eddy Charlie, a member of the Cowichan Nation and a residential school survivor. He described the long-term intergenerational impacts of the trauma inflicted by residential schools as poison leeched into a river, contaminating everything along the way. He said, “We've been contaminated by hate, pain and aggression, and until we clean up that river, we'll always be stuck in a really bad place.”

The process of cleaning up that river is under way. It is our job as parliamentarians, and as Canadians, to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

Oral Questions

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

Before we go to questions and comments, the Chair has notice of an intervention on a point of order that we were dealing with earlier this day.

The hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I unreservedly apologize for the gesture I made in question period today.

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

I thank the hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe for his response. Accordingly, I think we can consider the matter closed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-5, an act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Bills of Exchange Act

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Fredericton for her remarkable speech. I learned a lot from it.

I was also very pleased to hear about her two boys. I am sure that her two little guys are in very good hands.

I obviously believe that we must support this bill, which stems from the work of my former NDP colleague, Georgina Jolibois. However, as my colleague from Fredericton stated, we must do even more.

I would like to ask her two questions. First, does she think that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples should be enshrined in all federal legislation? Second, does she agree that the federal government should drop its court challenge against the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling with respect to social services for indigenous children?

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his questions and for his comments about my children.

I absolutely believe that we need to enshrine the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into our federal framework. I certainly believe that children should not be in court defending their rights, especially when it comes to their social welfare.

I wish to add to the record that indigenous communities are more than well equipped to handle child and family services on their own behalf, for their own children, and that we very much need to honour the sovereignty, self-governance and self-determination that I mentioned in my speech.

I want to congratulate first nations communities across the country for the incredible work they continue to do on behalf of their children. I implore my colleagues in the House to continue to do our work to catch up to what they have been doing.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the member brings up a valid point with regard to the national legislation and where it has impact. Hopefully, through the legislation, we will see other jurisdictions do likewise and emphasize its importance. As has been pointed out previously, it is not a day off, but rather an opportunity for us to be a better society by getting a better understanding of why we are designating this day.

I would like the member's comments on that.

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly think it is important to formally enshrine this as an official holiday in Canada. I just wonder what that means. I think we need to have more conversations about the responsibility of non-indigenous Canadians to reconcile what we have done. I think about how we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day. A lot of positive actions come out of such a day.

I ask that more Canadians learn. For me, it is really about the educational opportunity, so it goes back to investments, and it goes back to supports. If we were to do better in our education system, if we were to have a more culturally responsive curriculum as part of the provincial system in general, I think that would have a bigger impact than, perhaps, a national holiday.

Again, I support this, but we must go much, much further.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated my colleague's speech. I thank her for that.

This is difficult for people like me who did not experience the atrocities that others in the community did. What we can do is put ourselves in their shoes and be allies. It is our duty as parliamentarians to do this in our own communities, to raise awareness about this day and to ensure our constituents have opportunities to learn and commemorate.

There is consensus among opposition and government members on this bill. I think everyone wants to move towards reconciliation.

What does my colleague think the government should do as a next step towards reconciliation? It seems the opposition parties are very likely to support everything the government does to advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples.

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

There is a lot that we need to be doing as parliamentarians. In my speech I looked to the other calls to action. I mentioned some of the outcomes in education and health. I highlighted some of the ways that we continue to fail in these areas.

I also think about the comparisons that have been made with Remembrance Day and with what this holiday could be. It is really about our next steps as members of Parliament in how we choose to observe and promote awareness in our communities around this national holiday. I would like to see more concrete investments and funding commitments because it is going to take a lot more than our words. It is going to take actions, and it is going to take funding, so I think that is a big step.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by advising the House that I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Winnipeg North.

I am joining the House from my riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinabe, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.

I am honoured to speak here today on the national day for truth and reconciliation. It is a day marked by September 30, traditionally Orange Shirt Day. I want to thank the many survivors and family members who have taught me so much about residential schools over the years. I am particularly honoured to work with colleagues, such as the member for Northwest Territories, who himself is a survivor; former member of Parliament Romeo Saganash; and former member of Parliament Georgina Jolibois, who was the initial sponsor of this bill.

I am also inspired by the work of so many of my colleagues here, including the member for Winnipeg Centre and my good friend the member for Sydney—Victoria. I am also inspired by the words of the member for Fredericton and the member for North Island—Powell River, members representing many different parties within our House.

Let us be clear, this day is to respect, honour and reflect on the enormous number of lives lost in the generations of first nations, Inuit and Métis, and those whose lives have been forever changed. It is equally to recognize the enormous resilience of the survivors and their families. It is about education, as many have said, but it is not about indigenous people educating non-indigenous people about what has happened with residential schools and the many other oppressive things that have happened in this country since 1867. It is about Canadians learning and taking the initiative to understand what this day marks.

This is not about revictimizing those who have enormous pain, enormous struggles to overcome and intergenerational trauma that cannot be erased overnight. When I speak about reconciliation, I often qualify this term, because I know it is a term that is used quite regularly. It is used by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the 94 calls to action, and it is a term that our government uses quite regularly.

As someone who has worked on the issue of reconciliation, it is not one where those who are affected, those who are victimized need to reconcile. It is about those who perpetrated these atrocities who need to come forward, and make sure the conditions are there for reconciliation.

As long as we have a survivor, as long as we have a child of a survivor who is directly impacted by residential schools, it will be very difficult to reconcile. As long as those lives continue, in terms of every socio-economic measure, to not be at par with non-indigenous people, the conditions will not be there for reconciliation to take shape.

As much as we mark this day, as much as this day is important and significant, it is a day for Canadians to recommit and double down on the need for reconciliation to take place, the need for all the social determinants of health to be rectified and to ensure that we have a proper plan and path forward to ensure that true equality can take shape in Canada.

A number of questions were posed about the Indian Act itself. I can categorically say that it is a deeply flawed and deeply racist act that continues to subjugate first nations people from coast to coast to coast in a very colonial setting. I do not know how else to say it, but it is a deeply racist piece of legislation.

Sadly, it is one of those pieces of legislation that cannot just be undone; it took generations to put together.

In many ways, to be able to address some of the issues within first nations communities, it is important that we are working toward nation-to-nation relationships. This would allow first nations communities, nations and peoples to actually negotiate and establish their own governance and self-determination over both very basic and very complex things, including land, resources, language, justice and culture.

Until we do that, it would be too simplistic of a solution to say we are going to eliminate the Indian Act altogether. It is one of those acts, as the member for Sydney—Victoria said quite well, that is unfortunately not ready to be taken down yet, but that is where we need to end up.

Let me speak more on this day itself as the parliamentary secretary who was working on this file. We heard from so many different people on the need for this day. There was a lot of discussion. The TRC call to action number 80 did not specify September 30, but it definitely called for a day that would mark this important recognition of residential schools. In fact, September 30 became the natural fit, and that was the consensus we received from many individuals, survivors, leaders, communities and indigenous people from all walks of life. That consensus allowed us to move forward with this date.

It is also something that will not mark the end. In fact, it will be the beginning. Someone mentioned that we could establish this day and then go away. No, this is in fact the beginning of a longer journey, a longer discussion and a more elaborate conversation as to how this should be marked in each and every community.

In Scarborough—Rouge Park, in places like the GTA, there are very few resources available. Even though we have very large populations of urban indigenous people, we have very few resources for education. This is where our school boards and provinces need to come in. It would be similar to Remembrance Day, when there are actual events in schools. In Ontario, at least, it is not a provincial holiday. This should be a day where people are able to mark it locally and speak about it. Young people will be able to understand and learn from each other and from their teachers on this.

I began going to school in Canada in grade four, and I can tell members I did not learn about this until well into my university years. Even then, I would say it was insufficient. That learning and education needs to take place on a day like this. It would not be a holiday in many provinces, until they bring legislation, but it would allow schools to mark the day and be able to observe it in a very poignant manner. This statutory holiday will ensure that public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.

Throughout the witness testimony for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, commissioners heard from many organizations and groups that highlighted the importance and value of a day to commemorate. They talked about the need to have a date to reflect on the harm that has been historically inflicted upon first nations, Inuit and Métis people. I hope this House is able to adopt this.

I want to note that there are many calls to action, and almost 80% of the calls to action under the sole responsibility of the federal government and shared responsibility of the provinces have been completed or are well under way. This is one of them. I also want to note that call to action number 50, which calls on the Pope to apologize on behalf of the actions of the Catholic Church, may gain traction given the developments from the Pope this week on same-sex marriage.

I am hoping that we will be able to work together as faith groups, as governments and as indigenous people to advance reconciliation in Canada. I hope to see this legislation pass as soon as possible.

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

We are just about at the time of adjournment, so we will have five minutes remaining for questions and comments when the House next gets back to the bill.

Before we adjourn, I have to ask the parliamentary secretary about the image behind him. I wonder if that is a print of Canada's first national urban park, which happens to be in his riding.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an absolutely shameless promotion of the most beautiful park in Canada. I know many of my colleagues would completely disagree, but yes, indeed it is.

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

I thank the hon. member.

The member for Windsor West on a point of order.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his work on the first national urban park. We are trying to get the second one in Windsor, and the Rouge is a shining example.

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

It is a good start.

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until next Monday at 11 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 2:32 p.m.)