Mike Scott

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Starlight wrote to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development last fall a confidential letter alleging corruption on his reserve near Calgary. That private letter was leaked to the chief on the reserve who is now suing Mr. Starlight in court.

I just talked to the Starlight family before I came here and it confirmed that it has never received a response from this minister, not even an acknowledgement.

How is it that Mr. Starlight's letter got leaked to the chief but the minister never extended him the courtesy of a reply to his letter?

[Points Of Order, February 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period the minister of Indian affairs stated that my questions were driven by prejudice.

This is a totally and completely unacceptable statement for the minister to make and I ask you to ask her to withdraw it immediately.

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the minister knows that quote has been taken right out of context. The evidence is very clear that Mr. Starlight wrote to the minister.

That letter, with her stamp on it, is sitting in Chief Roy Whitney's office as we speak. How can the minister say that the letter was not conveyed by her or by any official in her department? How can the minister say this confidential letter did not come from her department when her own stamp is on it?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 10th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Bruce Starlight wrote a confidential letter to the minister of Indian affairs, alleging corruption on the Tsuu T'ina reserve.

Those allegations are now being looked into by the RCMP. Instead of keeping Mr. Starlight's letter confidential, a copy of it with the minister's own stamp on it was sent to the chief under suspicion.

Yesterday the minister said: “That letter was not conveyed by me or by any official in my department”. How can she say that with certainty when this investigation is not even finished?

[Indian Affairs, February 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, when Chief Roy Whitney ran as a Liberal candidate, the finance minister hosted a fund-raiser for him, two Liberal senators were in attendance, the Prime Minister was the keynote speaker at Whitney's nomination meeting and spoke at length and in glowing terms about his friend, Chief Roy Whitney.

Just last month Whitney accompanied the Prime Minister on a Team Canada trade mission.

Is this why the Indian affairs minister does not want an RCMP investigation? Is she afraid that it might lead to the door of the Prime Minister's office?.

[Indian Affairs, February 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, last week we asked the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development how a confidential letter written to her by Bruce Starlight could have got into the hands of Chief Roy Whitney. She said she did not know.

It turns out that Chief Roy Whitney is so connected to the Liberals that the finance minister was a fund-raiser when he ran as a candidate and the Prime Minister was a keynote speaker at Whitney's nomination meeting in 1993.

My question is, do all well-connected Liberal insiders have access to confidential and privileged information?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, again I ask the Deputy Prime Minister for his commitment here and now to pay Mr. Starlight's legal fees. This is a direct breach of confidentiality, a breach of the Privacy Act. We have got the Privacy Commissioner looking into it now. I am asking the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of Mr. Starlight and his family to guarantee to Mr. Starlight that the government is going to pay his legal fees. Will he answer that, yes or no?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 6th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how much more evidence this government needs. We get aboriginal after aboriginal giving testimonials that this is going on and the government denies it. As a direct result of this government's breach of privacy, Mr. Starlight is being sued by his own chief.

I asked a question yesterday and I did not get an answer. I am going to ask it again today of the Deputy Prime Minister. Is this government prepared to pay Mr. Starlight's legal fees due to its breach of his confidentiality?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Starlight is also wondering how to explain to her children why their former friends at school are now taunting and shunning them as a result of this. She is also wondering what will happen if she is fired from her job at the band office as a result of this blatant betrayal of confidentiality.

Will the minister assure this House here and now that Mr. Starlight's legal costs will be compensated as well as any loss of income suffered by Mrs. Starlight due to this betrayal of confidence?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 5th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know how much more evidence the government needs. When Bruce Starlight wrote to the minister of Indian affairs to allege corruption on his reserve, that letter was immediately handed to band chief Roy Whitney. Chief Whitney is now using band funds, money contributed by the federal government for all band members, to sue Mr. Starlight.

Bruce Starlight's wife Deanna has a question. She wants to know how it is that money belonging to her and her children can be used to sue her husband. Could the minister explain this to Deanna Starlight?