House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 1993, with 53% of the vote.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
It is the same philosophy no matter where the Reform sits or where the Nishga sit, who have been trying to settle their claim on forestry for at least two decades. The Reform sits quietly while it represents the Nishga while a load of lumber leaves their territory every four minutes. Yet my critic and the Reform remain silent. I have been there and I am doing something about it. Maybe the Reform should do the same.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I will give a couple of comparisons. We have a problem on the Stoney Reserve. I have been there, the police have been there and my ministry has been there. That problem has existed for one year.
The member stands up in the House, with all his truckloads going out last week for the first time from a First Nation in his riding; he has probably discovered the problem.
In B.C., where my critic sits-
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I hope this is the last supplementary. I want to advise the hon. member that as of March 31 the RCMP has been in, has made a seizure and has laid a charge.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the same answer. Why can that party not be so forthright in directing us and the Solicitor General to send the RCMP into B.C. and charge these companies there with the money, knowing what they were doing was incorrect? Why is that party not saying that? Why is it leaving the impression this is Indian wrongdoing?
There is a heavier onus on the cutters in B.C. from big companies who know the law, who have lawyers, who have money and have the skills to do exactly what they did. Their chainsaws did it.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I will try to lower the rhetoric.
I refer to what Bishop Hannen of Caledonia said: "It is the duty of Christians to address more than 100 years of native injustice-
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, why does the member not start pointing the finger at who actually went in there? B.C. cutters went in there, big time, with a heck of a lot of money for inducement. The logs have to be shared.
What happened there was not right. It was not all Indian doing. Where did those logs go? Those logs went to some big companies in B.C.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, I have already responded to the Reform leader on three separate questions. My friend should read the notes when they come out.
I might add this. This is the same member who said when we brought in the Sahtu legislation that the sky would fall, but it did not. This is the same member who said when we brought in the Manitoba dismantling that the sky would fall, but it did not. This is the same member who said what we did in the Yukon would not work and it has. This is the same member going around B.C. saying land claims should be stopped in B.C.
We did not listen to him on three separate occasions and we are not going to listen to him now.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member from the Reform is asking for a quite a bit of detail.
I would appreciate if he would let me know about this detail before question period. I will take the question as notice and get him as much information as I can.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Having said that, he sent his Greek chorus throughout B.C. This is what the church said about what they have done.
"The Anglican bishop for northern B.C. has accused the region's Reform MPs of breeding unnecessary fear about the Nishga land claim negotiations. A series of public meetings sponsored by Skeena MP, Mike Scott, is spreading half truths and anxieties among whites about the Nishga land claims".
"The Bishop of Caledonia, Don Hannen said that that is exactly what is being done here today". It is always the Indians' fault, nobody else's. These are half truths.
The Reform leader should talk to his minions and have them go out there and tell the truth to the people of Canada.
Indian Affairs April 5th, 1995
Mr. Speaker, once again the leader of the Reform is talking out of both sides of his mouth.
At his press conference when he tried to explain his policy, which no one understood, he said that my department has to be dismantled and decentralized in its function of funding transfers to local aboriginal agencies and governments.