House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 17% of the vote.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, this is totally false. The bill was part of a rigorous consultation process with first nations, territorial governments, and industry representatives. Drafts of legislative proposals were shared with stakeholders on several occasions. Comments received on the drafts were carefully considered, and where appropriate, were incorporated in the proposed text—
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member raises a very important point. In fact, from 2011 to 2013, Yukon was rated the single most desirable place in the world for mining companies to conduct business. As the parliamentary secretary pointed out, the most recent report, however, shows that Yukon has actually fallen to ninth place overall. The leaders, communities, and workers in the Yukon are concerned. They see that the regulatory regime in the Northwest Territories has been changed to be in line with the one south of 60, and this is exactly what this would do for Yukon and Nunavut.
It is really important and urgent that we pass this legislation so that Yukoners and the people in Nunavut can get the same benefits as other jurisdictions in the north.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the opposition members call this the shutting down of democracy. They sit in the House of Commons and make their case, and this is not democracy? To me it is democracy, but democracy is also about elected members working for the welfare of Canada and the betterment of Canadians.
We are a government that does not consider the north just a trophy. We have decided that northerners will have their place in Canada. The northern strategy is about enabling northerners to be full Canadians, and we will keep doing this.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
That is nonsense, Mr. Speaker. The fact of the matter is that the Conservative member for Yukon has been pleading with the socialists in neckties to allow the committee to travel to Yukon. We hope that they will abide by the wish of the Conservative member of Parliament for Yukon and allow the committee to travel so that first nations can indeed be heard in the Yukon and so Yukoners have a chance to be consulted and give their points of view on this piece of legislation.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, what he says in that corner is in that corner, all right.
The truth of the matter is that Bill S-6, the Yukon and Nunavut regulatory improvement act, is the final legislative step in the government action plan to improve northern regulatory regimes. This bill responds to years and years of calls for less duplication and a less cumbersome, uncertain review process to evaluate projects, one that encourages development, investment, and job creation in the north, and for that matter, in all of Canada.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, I was saying that in fact, a host of witnesses—from the Premier of the Yukon to representatives from every sector of industry and the first nations—have already appeared, commented and shared their point of view on the bill in question.
Yukon and Nunavut Regulatory Improvement Act March 11th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, the member complains about this being the 90th time. Well, that is about the number of times his party has stood up with exactly the same reasons. Every time, it is what they complain about, but he cannot bluff his way around this one.
This is not a bill about the Yukon only. It is about the regulatory system in the north, which affects, in this instance, both the Yukon and Nunavut.
For the information of the hon. member who complains about the bill not having been looked at by enough people, this is a bill that comes from the Senate. It has been before the senators. A host of witnesses have appeared before the Senate committee--
Aboriginal Affairs March 10th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to achieving fair and timely resolution for first nations specific claims since the announcement of the “justice at last” initiative.
We have cleared a backlog of some 516 claims in assessment, and we have settled 120 specific claims. Our government has made unprecedented progress on this topic and we will continue in that vein.
Aboriginal Affairs February 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, once again, we do not see the Amnesty International report as cause for alarm. We prefer to look at the facts.
No one can dispute the resources we have dedicated to improving life on reserves since 2006. We have made structural changes, particularly with the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act, giving women on reserves more rights. However, the opposition members voted against that.
We also adopted a range of measures to improve the quality of water and sewer systems on reserves, but the opposition members also voted against those measures. We will continue to work with first nations in the right direction.
Aboriginal Affairs February 26th, 2015
Mr. Speaker, as I have stated many times before, we have remained committed to working with aboriginal communities on our shared priorities since 2006, giving women living on reserve matrimonial property rights, which that member and her party opposed. We eliminated the discrimination clause in section 67 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which again they opposed. We have taken concrete actions to try to improve lives on reserve by investing, and every time, New Democrats have opposed those measures.