Mr. Speaker, there was a bit of conflation involving the term “discovery”. I was talking about rights being discovered, which is very different from the very legitimate and correct criticism of discovery that the member used in a different context. I think he knows that, but I wanted to clarify that because the word was used in different ways.
I agree that there is a great deal of horrific violence associated with various periods up until quite recently, and there are still many instances of racism and violence targeting indigenous people. The question we have to ask ourselves in this debate today is what we can do to advance justice and human rights for indigenous Canadians. That includes the opportunity for economic development. I believe there is a broad spectrum of issues that we need to attend to regarding justice and human rights for indigenous Canadians, and one of them is giving indigenous people the power to develop their own natural resources in co-operation with others and without undue burdens imposed on them by the state.
I will not apologize for thinking that economic development matters. It matters for all Canadians. It matters so that people can stay in their communities, find jobs and opportunities—