Bob Nault

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 31st, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I can report to the House as I have on numerous occasions that these contractual arrangements are between school boards and first nations. They are legal documents. There are disputes that occur from time to time. Our department does get involved in mediation or even helping with arbitration in order for these communities to resolve their differences with local school boards.

I do not think it will work if the minister of Indian affairs arbitrarily makes decisions when these disputes occur. We think they should be worked out between the two parties.

[Question No. 73, January 27th, 2003]

The answer is as follows:

(a) Native bands in Canada under third party management are as follows:

(b) The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development cannot provide this information. This information is considered third-party information and is protected under subsection 20(1) of the Access to Information Act (ATIA). In keeping with Treasury Board policy and guidelines relating to the ATIA, prior to releasing this information, a consultative process is undertaken, notice of the intent to release is given to the first nations, and they are given the opportunity to make their representations.

(c) Bands that have failed to file their audits with Indian Affairs are as follows:

[Innu Community of Davis Inlet, December 13th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this is an extremely important question because in the press in the last number of days there has been a lot of focus on the Innu and this new community being built. That is only part of the story. We need to develop a healing strategy for the community to work with Health Canada and to work with Human Resources Development Canada, to work with all government departments and with the community at large to make sure that we can help those community members, their parents and those children to turn their lives around. Having a new community is good but we have to go a step further and we--

[Aboriginal Healing Foundation, December 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, also under the same provisions, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 2000, 2001 and 2002 annual reports of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

[James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and Northeastern Quebec Agreement, December 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 annual reports on the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, and on the Northeastern Quebec Agreement.

[First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, December 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the hon. gentleman that in fact the information that was suggested in question period is not correct. The individual who was reported to have made the comments on the evening news last night in fact is already the chair of a finance authority for Westbank First Nation. That was the comment that was made. That is a different matter than the bill being presented to the House today.

[First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, December 2nd, 2002]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-19, an act to provide for real property taxation powers of first nations, to create a First Nations Tax Commission, First Nations Financial Management Board, First Nations Finance Authority and First Nations Statistical Institute and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 2nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak for anyone who is on television in the evening, but I can say that we have had a draft piece of legislation dealing with fiscal institutions out in the public domain since July. The first nations people can look at it, assess it and arrive at a decision as to whether that is the best approach to take to develop a first nations economy and to put in the kinds of tools for fiscal relationships that we, as governments, need to see first nations communities succeed.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the member must be better advised than anyone in the House. I understand that he is talking about a report that will not be released until next week. I have not seen it. I do not know what it says but I suspect that he does.

However, in answer to his specific question, the government has put forward a number of major initiatives, one being the first nations governance legislation with the objective to bring modern tools of governance to first nations to help them with their administrative issues on reserves.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 27th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the member has his facts somewhat incorrect. Every single department in the Government of Canada that has work that relates to first nation people on reserves has agreements. Those agreements are audited on a yearly basis and assessed. The work of those departments and the audits are to see whether the programs that we deliver to the communities are successful. If there are financial difficulties, then we move to help them deal with those issues.