Mr. Chair, I do not have the exact figure as to the legal costs incurred by Canada in this matter, but I can undertake to provide the hon. member with those numbers.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 17% of the vote.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, I do not have the exact figure as to the legal costs incurred by Canada in this matter, but I can undertake to provide the hon. member with those numbers.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, with all due respect, these matters are before the court. It would be improper to comment on matters before the court.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, the government's position is clear.
We will fully respect our obligations under the settlement agreement that was concluded among all parties.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, the member should know that the Supreme Court of Canada does not err. It never makes mistakes. When the Supreme Court of Canada issues a ruling, that ruling becomes law. We fully comply with the rulings of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, I never said that in the House. That is absolutely not true.
What I said was that aboriginal rights in Canada are guaranteed in section 35 of the Constitution, as well as in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I never said the opposite.
In fact, we prove every day that we fully respect aboriginal treaty rights with all of measures we have taken to improve these rights and ensure they are respected.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, we all know that the concern of Canada with this declaration is the free, prior and informed consent. Once, this government endorsed the declaration. It stated categorically and without nuance that, indeed, this would not affect Canadian law.
We see the UN declaration as an aspirational document. The rights of aboriginal peoples are protected in Canada, not only by section 35. They enjoy the same rights as all others through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Moreover, when we amended the Canadian Human Rights Act so that it applied to all first nations in Canada, his party voted against it.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, it is because in 1982, Canada and all provinces amended the Constitution to entrench the fundamental aboriginal rights of aboriginal Canadians and treaty rights. Ours is one of the few countries in the world where those aboriginal rights and treaty rights are enshrined in the Constitution.
In addition, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled on several occasions on the extent of those aboriginal and treaty rights in Canada. If we had followed the way of the hon. member, it would have been against the Constitution of Canada.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Absolutely, Mr. Chair.
It is the reason why we negotiate self-government agreements and comprehensive land claims agreements with first nations across Canada. We continue our dialogue with the Métis. On the Inuit front, we already have comprehensive land claims agreements and self-government agreements that have been entered into.
Under those conditions, yes, the relation is nation to nation.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, They are operating at full capacity and are providing assistance to over 68% of people living on reserves across the country.
Business of Supply May 13th, 2015
Mr. Chair, I do not know.