Jane Stewart

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, what I believe and what the government believes is that we have to stand true to the Constitution and to the charter of rights of the country. In the Constitution of Canada aboriginal rights are recognized and must be protected.

The challenge we have in a modern Canada is to identify those rights and to negotiate with first nations, and in some cases with the provinces, as the Government of Canada on how to reconcile rights in today's Canada.

We have a effective process that is giving us certainty and is allowing us to make economic investments in a part of the country that can use. It is beyond me—

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, let me explain something to the hon. member opposite. When we listen to the president of the Nisga'a talk about the decades it has taken for them to negotiate their way into this country, to feel that they can be part of something that we are all a part of, to have the opportunity to share in the economic and social benefits of this great nation, we understand why settling this long outstanding obligation and doing it in the context of building strong self-reliant first nations governments like the Nisga'a is so critically important to us all.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, I thank you because this is very important. The charter of rights and freedoms states that nothing that we will do shall abrogate or derogate from any aboriginal treaty or other rights or freedoms that pertain to the aboriginal peoples of Canada, including any rights or freedoms that have been recognized by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and any rights or freedoms that now exist by way of land claims agreements or may so be acquired.

These are the highest laws of the land. They protect aboriginal rights. We have a process to reconcile those rights in a modern Canada. What is Reform's strategy for dealing with that?

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, it would probably be helpful for the hon. member to take time to read the charter of rights and freedoms, in particular section 25. I remind him that the charter of rights and freedoms guarantees that certain rights and freedoms shall not be construed as to abrogate or derogate from any—

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, this is becoming ridiculous. Here again they fall. They do not know how to read the treaty in the context of the application of laws. They bring up matrimonial property and they have that all wrong. They talk about labour provisions and they get that wrong.

They keep saying they do not need briefings to understand the treaty and how it was written because they know it all, but they have yet to show in this House how they know anything about the laws of Canada or the importance of this treaty.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, fundamentally, the fact remains that provincial laws will apply on Nisga'a lands.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, if they would take the time to speak with the Nisga'a they would see that women are very much involved in that society. Women are leading the ratification process. Women are on the education—

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 5th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, members of the Reform Party continue to show why they have no credibility on this issue.

First they undermine the process of the government and of parliament to accept or reject such an important treaty. Then they continue to show that they do not have any understanding of the significant roles in this land of the Constitution and the charter of rights which apply and protect aboriginal rights.

Here again we have them confusing the details of the treaty. Maybe the hon. member should go with her colleague, the critic for the Reform Party, and sit down with the Nisga'a to understand how they do protect and do include women in that society.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and the party opposite talk about race based decisions. Let us clarify this. It is not race based; it is rights based. If they would take the time to read the highest law of our land, the Constitution, and appreciate the unique and dynamic approach that Canada has taken in building a strong partnership with the first peoples of this country, they would be appalled at their own questions.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 1999]

Mr. Speaker, to my mind the Nisga'a treaty gives us the opportunity to yet again show how this side of the House, how the Liberal government, wants to make progress for the benefit of first nations in Canada.

I would like to remind the House of some of the approaches of the opposition. First of all, members will remember that their solution to the devastating poverty on first nations communities was to cut $1 billion from my ministry's budget. I would remind members that they were so committed to the Inuit in Nunavut that when we had the debate in the House, all they focused on was the Senate issue. Here is a good one. I want to remind the House that their enlightened solution at Ipperwash was to call in the army. Are we to take them seriously at all?