Reed Elley

[2002 Winter Olympics, February 20th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to offer my congratulations to another Canadian who played a starring role at the Salt Lake City Olympics. While I am extremely proud of our athletes I would particularly like to mention Sadie Buck and her role in the opening ceremonies.

Ms. Buck is an aboriginal singer from Six Nations who has been singing her entire life. She is the lead singer and artistic director of the Six Nations Women Singers and most recently completed four years of work on Bones , an aboriginal dance opera. As an artist she has performed all across the United States and Canada.

One of Sadie's goals has been to present aboriginal music and singing to the world. With a worldwide audience of almost four billion people I think we would all agree that she has done a marvellous job of achieving this goal. While I have never had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Buck I hold her up as an example for all of us. She set a personal goal and then took steps to achieve it. This is a valuable lesson that we can all learn. Sadie is a wonderful role model for not only aboriginal young people but all young people across Canada.

We congratulate Sadie on a job well done.

[National Horse of Canada Act, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, all puns aside, I will carry on here.

It is a great pleasure for me to speak to Bill S-22 which provides for the recognition of the Canadian horse as the national horse of Canada. I am pleased to allow my name to stand as a co-sponsor of the bill. I congratulate the member for Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey for bringing the bill to the House.

It has been my personal pleasure to have attended a number of Canadian horse shows in my riding of Nanaimo--Cowichan on Vancouver Island and indeed to have presented the award to the grand champion Canadian horse on those occasions. These animals are magnificent creatures. They are wonderful examples of equine pleasure for those who truly love horses.

There are several breeders of the Canadian horse in my riding, for example, Dennis St. Denis and others. They likewise have expressed their support for this bill and the recognition it gives to the Canadian horse in our heritage.

The Canadian horse traces its roots back to the 17th century when King Louis XIV sent horses to Canada to the settlers in New France in their effort to clear and cultivate the new land. As members well know, Canada can be a very harsh and unforgiving country. Cold winters and hot, often humid summers are enough to slow down the best of any breed, but this horse comes from sturdy stock. One must wonder what limitations the inhabitants of New France would have faced had the Canadian horse not been available to them.

It is interesting to note that some of the very best known breeds in North America today can trace their pedigrees and their lineage back to the Canadian horse. One only has to mention such well-known breeds as the Morgan, the standardbred, the American saddlebred and the Tennessee walking horse to realize that the Canadian horse has had a deep and lasting effect on horses all across this continent.

They were used as cavalry horses during the American civil war. They were taken to Africa by the Canadian cavalry to be used in the Boer war at the turn of the 20th century. Although these horses proved valiant, they were never returned to Canada. That played a serious role in forcing the breed to come close to extinction on several occasions. Today I am pleased to report that there are now over 3,000 registered Canadian horses in Canada.

In worldly terms, Canada is still a very young nation. Compared to many countries, our history is still relatively fresh. As the explorers set out across uncharted rivers and lands, they associated the new country with the bountiful wildlife they found.

Today Canada is still recognized around the world officially and unofficially by the Canadian beaver, the loon, the Canada goose and the polar bear. Today we have the opportunity to officially recognize the Canadian horse and add it to the list with these other well-known Canadian animals. Perhaps some day the Canadian horse will also grace the national coinage as these other animals do.

Versions of this bill were presented to the House on two previous occasions. Unfortunately on both occasions the bills died on the order paper, as did many other good pieces of legislation when the Prime Minister called an early election. Just as a political aside, I would say one of the frustrating parts of our Canadian democracy is that there is so much power in the Prime Minister's Office. We need to reform the parliamentary practices of our government so good pieces of legislation like this bill cannot be put off.

Canadians are a proud people, however we are also a very quiet people. We do not go out and beat the drum, calling attention to our nationalism and international or domestic feats. Many of us do not want to rise to the level of nationalism that says my country right or wrong as many of our American cousins to the south display. Maybe we could learn a lesson or two from them and apply it in our own unique Canadian way.

We need to rightfully recognize what it is that makes us Canadian. I believe that this is one of those times. This is the time to stand up as a nation and claim what is rightfully ours. Let us be proud of those things that are uniquely Canadian and support them as a means of binding the nation together.

I note in the research provided to me that many people across Canada do not really know very much about the Canadian horse. Many have not even heard about this magnificent beast. However, we here today can begin to change that. Let us find the passion and the desire to move beyond the partisan and sometimes petty politics that we practice in this place and continue to build our nation rather than pull it to pieces.

I ask all members of the House, representing five different parties and every single region of the country, representing different cultures and different lengths of stay, to stand up and be supportive of the bill. Now is the time that we should be able to all agree on something collectively and do something for the common good of the nation.

Will the recognition of the Canadian horse make a difference to some of the other issues that we discuss in the House? In many cases it will not. Perhaps in other underlying ways it can make a difference. By building on the positive things that this nation was formed upon, we reinstill the confidence and pride that I believe we are sometimes lacking in our nation today.

The hon. member for Dufferin--Peel--Wellington--Grey has stolen a line out of every speech that will be made in the House this afternoon by saying that this is the Chinese year of the horse. I agree with him. I can think of nothing more Canadian than recognizing the Canadian horse as Canada's official horse in the year of the horse.

The bill has my full support. I am proud to allow my name to stand as co-sponsor of the bill. I urge all good members in the House to do likewise.

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I wish that the minister would simply relay that information to the Indian bands because this kind of thing happens all too frequently.

Right now there are businesses like Chemical Industries of Calgary, Alberta, cutting off the supply of goods and services to all bands because of its experience with a few bands that cannot manage their financial affairs.

Businesses are concerned. Banks are concerned. Aboriginal bands are concerned. Unfortunately the minister does not seem to be doing anything about it.

He truly has an opportunity to stimulate economic activity at the band level and increase the standard of living for many aboriginals across Canada. All of us want that. When will the minister fix his government's disastrous third party management policy?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, recently Indian leaders, private business owners, financiers and the Canadian Alliance met in Winnipeg to discuss concerns over the current third party management practices of Indian Affairs.

The minister has stated that the federal government has no legal obligation to third parties, but the current practices are causing undue financial hardship for both bands and private business. Suing a band in order to be paid is not an option because there is no way to enforce the judgment.

Will the minister explain to private businesses in this country how they are to be paid for outstanding debts owed by bands whether they are in third party management or not?

[Budget Implementation Act, 2001, February 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has elicited such an incredible response from the party across the way that maybe he should answer the question.

The whole question of a low Canadian dollar is not something that will be easily solved in the near future. As long as the government's policy is to keep the dollar at a low level in comparison to the American currency because it feels we need to do so as an exporting nation, we will not see any great rise in the value of the Canadian dollar.

My hon. colleague raised a question about integration of our currencies. We in the Canadian Alliance have not taken a position on the issue. There is no question this is a subject that will receive a good deal of debate in the near future. All of us in the House will need to think cogently and rationally about this subject before we go into it. However I appreciate what my hon. colleague has said today.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2001, February 7th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to join the debate on the budget. I could use my time today to discuss a great many things concerning this subject. Like my colleagues on this side of the House I could raise the issue of the way the Liberals sleepwalked the nation into the recession, yet they failed to put effective countermeasures into place.

My own riding of Nanaimo--Cowichan has been particularly hard hit economically for some time now. My constituents shake their heads in dismay when they hear of questionable grants that have been passed out by the government, fountains in the Prime Minister's riding and the Enron-like style accounting practices of many government departments.

I could discuss the government's mismanagement of the sinking Canadian dollar and how the Prime Minister has made the low dollar a very low priority. Sometimes people ask if Canadians are really interested in this sort of discussion and issue. I want to say that they are interested. In fact yesterday I received an e-mail from a constituent in my riding about the falling Canadian dollar. He wrote:

It's almost unbelievable; our dollar was starting to improve and then [the Prime Minister] went down to New York and turned it around again. I don't know if you or any of the caucus happened to watch his speech, but any American seeing that performance would pack up his assets in Canada for sure...I have relatives down there who can't believe we could elect such a--

I will not repeat the word he used.

Our dollar is not only dropping against the U.S. dollar, it is also dropping against the Mexican peso if you can believe it. Last year at this time a Canadian dollar bought 6 pesos. I checked at the Credit Union yesterday thinking of purchasing pesos before I went to Mexico later this month and it is now 5.2 pesos for a Canadian dollar. When [the finance minister] says that it is the strength of the U.S. dollar that is causing the problem; how can he explain our dollar crashing against the Mexican peso as well? Does this mean that the Mexican economy is stronger than ours?

These are the kinds of questions that ordinary Canadians are asking about their government and the handling of our finances. I could go on. Although Canadians have an appetite for fiscal accountability and real debt reduction, there has been no planned debt reduction included in this budget. I could speak to a myriad of different things including security and the needs of our armed forces and our intelligence gathering capabilities. My colleagues have already spoken to many of them.

Unfortunately the mental drift of the government has left our fiscal policy in disarray. We have gone for almost two years without a budget. During the past decade we have seen our standard of living drop dramatically. While our American cousins have greater purchasing power than they did in 1989, Canadians now have less. This is simply unacceptable and we in this party are very concerned about our economy if the government is not.

However I really do not want to talk about those issues. I want to talk about the need for greater accountability starting with our national budget. As the senior critic for Indian affairs for the Canadian Alliance, I am particularly interested in how this budget will affect aboriginal people in Canada. Accumulatively with all departments combined, the federal budget for aboriginal people amounts to almost $7.4 billion. That is a staggering amount of money.

One would think that with a budget that size, the economic well-being of aboriginal people would be increasing. Unfortunately we all know that many of our on-reserve aboriginal people live in some of the most deplorable conditions that could be found across North America or even many parts of the world. We must ask why this is happening.

At the same time there are many good examples of money being well used by aboriginal bands in Canada. There is the Six Nations reserve in southern Ontario. There are aboriginal businesses such as the gravel mining business of the Sechelt band on the west coast and the Membertou band which achieved ISO certification last week. These types of aboriginal businesses should set the standard for others. Unfortunately such good examples are often overshadowed by the negative aspects of federal government policy, financial mismanagement by the bands or, even worse, a combination of both.

Here is a case in point. The third party management policy of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs is clearly not working. I believe the minister is aware of the problem but changes must be made to the existing system because it is failing everyone.

Recently in Winnipeg aboriginal leaders, private businesses, banks and the Canadian Alliance member for Selkirk--Interlake met to discuss the problem. It is highly unusual to have all these players at the same table and agreeing on the main issue of the day. I am pleased we in our party could play an important role in the meeting and in bringing the matter to the attention of the House of Commons.

Simply put, under existing federal policy when a band is placed in third party management the directive is to only address the current and future primary needs of the band. If a band has mismanaged its financial affairs outside assistance may be necessary. We recognize that. However the private businesses that have provided goods and services in good faith and under contractual agreements are left out in the cold.

The minister has stated that the federal government has no responsibility for private businesses. He says if private businesses want to be paid they should resort to the court system and sue the band. Have hon. members ever tried getting blood out of a stone? Most of the assets of the band are the property of the crown and therefore cannot be seized or have a lien placed against them. Sure, private businesses can undertake the expense of going to court and even win a successful judgment. However they can do nothing when they have claimed the judgment because it is worthless.

If the minister wants accountability let us start by introducing budgetary changes that address the problem. When the few bands placed in third party management default on bona fide contracts the good reputation of all other bands is tarnished as well.

Peace Hills Trust, an aboriginal bank owned by the Hobbema band, has stated that the current policy is causing it to be far more cautious in its lending practices. A number of businesses across Canada are refusing to do any kind of business with aboriginal peoples. This is unacceptable. It will not help economic stimulation on reserves if this keeps going on.

In the midst of all these problems houses and schools still need to be built. Roads still need to be plowed in the middle of winder and dust retardant laid down in the summer. Funeral services still need to be conducted. The government's policy on the issue remains unresolved.

If people own lumber companies, chemical supply companies or funeral homes and have default judgments against previous aboriginal clients, why on earth would they continue to do business with other aboriginal clients? Many businesses are saying the same thing: Once bitten, twice shy. The defaults of a few bands are harming the business relationships and opportunities of the remaining bands. Yet possible solutions are not apparent in the budget or the government's legislative agenda.

If I could make recommendations to the minister and his officials they would be something like this: First, he should level the playing field for everyone. Second, he should bring accountability to the forefront for both his department and the bands. Third, he should use the good examples of many bands across Canada today as a training model for others. Fourth, he should set up a system that will ensure businesses that provide goods and services to bands are not left holding worthless court judgments.

The reputation of aboriginal people has been harmed enough over the years due to poor government policy. If the government drafts new workable changes it will have the full support of the aboriginal community, private businesses, banks and, yes, perhaps the opposition parties. If it introduces this kind of legislation we will all work to speed it through the House.

In conclusion, I am disappointed in the budget and in the aspects of the bill before us. The last throne speech promised big things for aboriginal people. The Prime Minister says that is one of his pet projects. The budget was an opportunity to address many of the issues before us today. However it has failed aboriginal people, private businesses and all Canadians in general.

[Agriculture, January 31st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, over two years ago an entrepreneurial farm couple in my riding took out a $125,000 mortgage to begin a new industry in Canada. They imported 19 water buffalo from Denmark and had contracted with a local cheese factory to market water buffalo cheese on the west coast. Unfortunately, one dairy cow in Denmark came down with mad cow disease and the government after doing a risk assessment ordered the water buffalo destroyed.

Beyond the issue of keeping Canada free of BSE there is the issue of a government that is failing the Archers by not taking into account all the evidence presented to it. There have been no cases of water buffalo with BSE anywhere in the world. The Danish government has categorically said that this herd was not exposed. Animals from the same herd were exported to other countries such as Australia and are not in quarantine. The Archers are on record as supporting zero tolerance for BSE. However there is no hard evidence that links BSE with their water buffalo.

I ask the agriculture minister and the Liberal government to rescind the destroy order and do all they can to save this new industry in a recessionary economy rather than do all they can to destroy it. It is no wonder Canadians are truly skeptical about their government.

[Persons with Disabilities, December 4th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, this week we place special emphasis on disabled persons in society. Everyday thousands of Canadians face the day with great courage in a world that is not particularly friendly to them.

They struggle to get into buildings which still do not have wheelchair ramps. They work and play in facilities which still do not have washrooms for the handicapped. They face discrimination when they apply for jobs and if they get them they are often the brunt of prejudice in the form of sick humour and rude remarks from some of their workmates.

They come under attack by advocates of a philosophy which would condone the acts of a Robert Latimer in his right to end the life of his disabled daughter.

Why do I know these things to be true? It is because my wife and I are parents to Jill, our very physically challenged 10 year old daughter. She has given us so much, broadened our horizons as parents and brought much joy to our lives with her courage and her humour in spite of her difficulties. Jill keeps us thankful, hopeful and humble.

I have learned not to take the disabled for granted. We are called to be their friends, their protectors, their advocates and their partners in this journey called life. We are in this together and we can all be richer for it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 3rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Assembly of First Nations begins meetings in Ottawa to discuss the first nations governance act. To date political Indian groups across Canada, including the AFN, the Chiefs of Ontario, Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, Interior Alliance, Federation of the Saskatchewan Indian Nations and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, have all stated their opposition to the minister's initiative.

However my consultations with grassroots aboriginal people have confirmed that both fiscal and democratic accountability are of huge concern to them at the band level. Would the minister confirm today that fiscal and governmental accountability will indeed be written into the bill?

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 3rd, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the minister of Indian affairs has recently stated he has consulted with about 2% of aboriginal people living on reserves in preparing for the drafting and introduction of the first nations governance act.

For years and years aboriginal people have lived under the oppressive regulations of the Indian Act, but after such a short consultation does the minister believe that he now has the moral authority to impose a new Indian Act on native people living across Canada?