House of Commons photo

Crucial Fact

  • His favourite word was aboriginal.

Last in Parliament April 1997, as Liberal MP for Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario)

Won his last election, in 1993, with 53% of the vote.

Statements in the House

First Nations Land Management Act April 22nd, 1997

moved that Bill C-75, an act to provide for the ratification and bringing into effect of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management, be read the second time and passed.

Nelson House First Nation Flooded Land Act April 22nd, 1997

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

(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed.)

Nelson House First Nation Flooded Land Act April 22nd, 1997

moved that the bill be concurred in.

York Factory First Nation Flooded Land Act April 22nd, 1997

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

(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed.)

Farm Debt Mediation Act April 17th, 1997

moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in and read the second time.

Agricultural Marketing Programs Act April 17th, 1997

moved that Bill C-34, an act to establish programs for the marketing of agricultural products, to repeal the Agricultural Products Board Act, the Agricultural Products Cooperative Marketing Act, the Advance Payments for Crops Act and the Prairie Grain Advance Payments Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, be read the third time and passed.

Housing April 16th, 1997

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his interest in aboriginal peoples which has been consistent.

I do not have the exact details because it is based on formula, but I will get them after question period and give them to the hon. member.

Indian Affairs April 16th, 1997

Mr. Speaker, when we went abroad we did it a lot more wisely than the AFN. We went to Greenland to negotiate economic agreements with aboriginal people. We went to New Zealand to negotiate economic agreements between our aboriginal people and their aboriginal people. We went to the United States to negotiate economic agreements on agriculture. We went to Mexico to negotiate a forestry agreement between the Meadow Lake Tribal

Council and the people there. I could go on. I am glad the member has given me this opportunity.

While they were talking, we were moving over jurisdiction in gas and oil in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

We made amendments to the Indian Act which the hon. member opposed. It gave power to those people. No country has gone as far as Canada.

We said that these powers belonged to aboriginal people. They came from the creator. We are prepared as a federal government to say that education is theirs, health is theirs. Marriage, custody, culture and language are theirs. The hon. member would not support those things.

Indian Affairs April 16th, 1997

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is referring to Mr. Mercredi's trip to England. We have different styles.

While I was working on Manitoba treaty land entitlement, the Dog Rib claims in the Northwest Territories, the Makivik claims in Quebec, all significant, Mr. Mercredi was talking to the statue of Queen Victoria.

We have been here three and a half years. The RCAP report talks about relocations and we did them in Grise Fiord and Davis Inlet. For veterans we did scholarships. We did June 21st aboriginal recognition.

On governance, we did inherent right; the B.C. treaty process, the Manitoba dismantling, 13 land management agreements; Nunavut and Yukon.

On co-management we are doing it in Saskatchewan, B.C. and Alberta. On treaty land entitlement we are finishing with Saskatchewan and doing Manitoba.

I have 18 pages of bullets which I am prepared to table so the hon. member can read in bullet form 18 pages of progress.

Aboriginal Peoples March 18th, 1997

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member has pointed out, this is a very extensive report with over 440 recommendations. It was tabled in November after five years of study and $60 million.

The Prime Minister has met with Mr. Erasmus and Judge Dussault. We expect all ministries as they progress, provincial, federal, territorial, to look at the RCAP report to try to devise strategies and policies that fit the report.