Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We disagree with the B.C. Supreme Court's ruling. That is why we appealed it back in September.
As a government, we always prefer to negotiate instead of going to court. I can tell members that in all of our negotiations, dating back to 1970, no agreement between the federal government and first nations has ever led to Canadians losing their privately owned land, not a single one. All discussions of aboriginal title at the federal level exclude private property. No modern treaty, negotiated agreement or federal approach has led to people losing privately owned land.