Jane Stewart

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, again I would point out that the work of the royal commission encouraged us and advised us to look at these very issues.

If the hon. member would take time to look at the response of this government to those very issues she will see that we are committed to building a strong relationship with the aboriginal peoples from coast to coast to coast, to building and supporting transparent and accountable First Nations government and Inuit government.

Members will see that we are committed to building modern fiscal relationships, all with the intention of ensuring that we build healthy, secure—

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 26th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have said all along that the lives of aboriginal people in this country are dramatically different from the lives many of us have. They are not as good.

Over the last five years the largest public inquiry into the very root causes of the issues that the hon. member makes reference to, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, has been completed. On January 7 this government provided a significant and historic response to that piece of research and focused on building plans—

[The Environment, March 19th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, we are all concerned about this issue of the Kanesatake First Nation.

The band council has held community meetings in this regard and we are working together with it to develop environmental auditing strategies.

I note that members from my colleague's department, the Minister of the Environment, have been on site and are taking samples. We are working in a participatory way to try to deal with this issue.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 18th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I have been down to the Atlantic provinces and I had opportunities to meet with a number of chiefs in that region. If the chief has need of a meeting or wants to convey information to me he is free to do so and I will be there to receive it and to speak with him.

[Canada-Yukon Oil And Gas Accord Implementation Act, March 11th, 1998]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

[Canada-Yukon Oil And Gas Accord Implementation Act, March 11th, 1998]

moved that the bill be concurred in.

(Motion agreed to)

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as I have explained in the House and as I have explained publicly, the recommendations made to me by the investigator indicated quite clearly that there were lax approaches.

We are taking action against the seven recommendations that he made. Indeed individuals have been named in the department to deal with confidential information, to classify it appropriately and to manage it effectively in my department.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 11th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where the hon. member has been, but indeed one of the first things I did upon receiving the report of the investigator was to call Mr. Starlight and indicate that we would pay for his legal fees.

[Native Women, March 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, the effect of residential schools was devastating for aboriginal people. As a result, in our statement of reconciliation that we provided to aboriginal people on January 7 the government took responsibility and recognized the impact of past approaches to our relationship with Canada's first people.

In the particular case of residential schools, the Native Women's Association of Canada was offered a seat on the interim board and it denied taking that seat.

[Aboriginal Affairs, March 9th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. Indeed it was very important from my point of view to share with the public the results, the conclusions and the summary of the investigation. We in fact briefed the opposition on the details of that investigation.

As the hon. member will understand, the issue of the investigation is itself about privacy. Certainly there are procedures at play that we will very eagerly comply with if someone wants to employ—