Jane Stewart

[Indian Affairs, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear that the gentleman who is going to do the investigation is outside the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He is a man who has 20 years of experience in security and review. He will do a complete and thorough job.

Again, if we want to talk about confidence, I have no idea how the hon. member opposite intends to build any kind of confidence with aboriginal people when what your party wants to do is cut $1 billion from education, housing and infrastructure for aboriginal people. It is an investment which you do not view as being important—

[Indian Affairs, February 4th, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, I made it clear in this House yesterday that I have asked for an investigation of the process of this letter and how it travelled through my department.

Indeed, I am outraged that the letter was received by Chief Whitney, but we have a process in place to review this.

My question is how does the hon. member think anyone can take him or his party seriously about the issues of aboriginal people when what they want to do is cut a billion dollars out of the budget of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development?

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, certainly I would hope that aboriginal people in this country do feel that they can trust this government.

I have been very proud on behalf of this government to offer to aboriginal people in Canada a statement of reconciliation, a very broad response to the work of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and to say to individual aboriginal people that for once their voices are being heard. We are going to build a new beginning together.

[Aboriginal Affairs, February 3rd, 1998]

Mr. Speaker, as I have made clear, it is of great concern to me that this letter has been written and is in the hands of Mr. Whitney. I made it clear that the letter was not conveyed through any official means and that in fact we have identified and I have requested that an investigation be done to follow this letter through my department.

[Income Tax Amendments Act, 1997, February 2nd, 1998]

moved that Bill C-28, an act to amend the Income Tax Act, the Income Tax Application Rules, the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Canada Pension Plan, the Children's Special Allowances Act, the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, the Customs Act, the Customs Tariff, the Employment Insurance Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act, the Income Tax Conventions Interpretation Act, the Old Age Security Act, the Tax Court of Canada Act, the Tax Rebate Discounting Act, the Unemployment Insurance Act, the Western Grain Transition Payments Act and certain acts related to the Income Tax Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Northern Development, December 3rd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, we are extremely proud of the new diamond mines that are being opened in the far north. Indeed, it is a great addition to the economy of the north and for all of Canada.

We have a working committee which has representatives from the federal government and the territorial government focusing on this new and burgeoning aspect of our economy. I look forward to the continuing advice from that committee and to ensuring that Canada does indeed benefit from this great new asset.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 2nd, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, in the case in point, the community is located by a river which has mine activity to the north of it. The river has aluminium in the water and the first nation had decided it would not accept water from that source.

As a result, and I think fairly so, the community, for the safety and security of its people, decided that it needed a new water source. Indeed we worked with them to find an alternate source.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to see that the Reform Party has finally come to understand the reality facing aboriginal people in Canada. As I recall, in the last Parliament the former member for Capilano—Howe Sound indicated that aboriginal people in Canada were living like those on a South Seas island.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. Leader of the Opposition is so committed to aboriginal people in this country, I would invite him to support the newest senator who was named yesterday—

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 27th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I have every confidence that First Nations communities across this country have the capacity and the ability to govern themselves.

This side of the House believes fully in the inherent right to self-government. We are committed to working with those communities to build on what already seem to be effective practices of management, effective services.

We are starting to see increasing and modernizing democratic processes in all the 633 First Nations across this country. Our job is to encourage that and work together to strengthen it.