House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 29% of the vote.
First Nations Elections Act June 11th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, with the exception of the question from my friend from Ottawa—Vanier, the questions coming from the official opposition have been focused on the abolition of the Senate.
The minister has some important things to say about the piece of legislation that we are supposed to be debating.
Mr. Speaker, I would respectfully ask you to refocus the debate, for the benefit, I am sure, of the members across the way.
Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act June 11th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to this particular piece of legislation. There have been discussions and contributions by a number of stakeholders. From my own experience and context, I think back to the more than eight years that I spent living and working in isolated first nations communities across Canada, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and parts of the Arctic Circle.
I mention this experience because earlier in the debate we heard some concerns put forward. I do not know if they are on the record or not, but I heard the words “jurisdictional matters”, and if I might say so with some humility, I have a sense not just for the issues as legal counsel for first nations communities over a number of years but for any of the jurisdictions where this might be a problem.
Earlier I had a line of questions for members across the way and in my own caucus, tough but fair questions around the emergency protection orders and priority occupation measures that this piece of legislation contemplates. In my respectful view, these are two key components of this legislation.
In the special standing committee on murdered and missing aboriginal women we heard from a witness who was unequivocal and categorical in her understanding of this legislation, particularly with respect to emergency protection orders and priority occupation. We heard that these two pieces would have, in fact, spared her from a tremendously difficult process that arose as a result of a domestic violence situation perpetrated on her by her partner at the time.
In the progression of this debate, we have heard members, particularly in the official opposition, identify a number of groups that they say are in principle against the legislation overall. With the greatest of respect, I do not think that considers some of the good people who commented on this legislation and may have made a general statement about it, because what they were really concerned about—and I think we are all in agreement on this point—is that whenever and wherever possible, the real effort should be to encourage first nations communities to develop their own matrimonial real property regime.
This bill would achieve that end. It says to first nations under a variety of different agreements, such as the First Nations Land Management Act and self-government agreements, to go out and make this. In fact, first nations do not even have to belong to one of those two categories to design or develop their own framework for matrimonial real property.
It is important, because we know that whether it is first nations communities or non-first nations communities, relationships do break down. In that final and most unfortunate category of relationship breakdown, or along the way, violence can arise. That is why my emphasis is on emergency protection and priority occupation: it is because this is where the real vacuum in the law exists. It is that fundamental ability of a police officer and a magistrate at that difficult time to give a woman and, most importantly, her children an opportunity to stay in the home.
I, unfortunately, have had a ringside seat in this special category that I am referring to. I have seen a woman and her family taken out of the home. It is not a very nice thing to see. I cannot imagine experiencing it. I can only relay to my friends across the way and to members of this government and caucus the importance of these two elements alone as grounds to consider matrimonial real property and how it would work on reserve until or unless first nations communities were in a position to develop their own regime that would respect these two important principles.
Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act June 11th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's speech and the work she has been doing on the standing committee to work through this piece of legislation.
What is interesting is that, last Thursday at the special committee for missing and murdered aboriginal women, we had a chance to hear first-hand about an aboriginal woman's experience. What I have been most consumed with or have grappled with at great lengths in this piece of legislation in particular is the emergency protection order and the priority occupation, which the member just referred to in her response to the question by the member opposite.
I wonder if the member could expound a bit more on how that could definitely make a difference in a situation where there has been an unfortunate situation in the home that has resulted in domestic violence, so that the courts, the judge or the police officers would have the opportunity to ensure that the woman and her children stay in the house, as opposed to their having to move out, which is very problematic if not troubling, as I have seen first-hand in first nations communities.
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, what an interesting metaphor, to turn on the tap.
We heard from the member for Burnaby—New Westminster what he and his party's policy solutions were, and that was, if in doubt, spend. Now that member has brought a new dimension to the debate.
In his speech he said that we should have a national regulatory framework, the same across the board. Somebody who has lived in isolated remote first nations communities in northern Ontario, where the member is from, knows that the landscape is much different there than British Columbia or the Arctic.
How can we establish those national frameworks when the instruments for measurement and for water treatment will be markedly different from one jurisdiction to another? Could he answer that question, or is he like the leader of the Liberal Party, just in over his head on this one?
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 6th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank this member for his important contributions to all the work we have been doing, particularly with respect to this piece of legislation.
What we just heard from the uninformed member across the way is the NDP's stand-pat solution to every problem: If in doubt, spend. Spend money on things without the critical pieces of the rest of the puzzle, such as training, such as actually taking the time to assess the amount of certification that is lacking in first nations communities across the country and to make those investments.
The circuit rider program, Northern Waterworks, and Confederation College are ensuring that we have certified workers to actually operate that kind of infrastructure before the infrastructure comes.
Can the member comment on the necessity of this legislation, in keeping with the other two pillars, which are capacity—reporting, monitoring and maintenance—and infrastructure? It is sort of a dialectical way of thinking about and developing policy.
Fighting Foreign Corruption Act June 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's speech. We have had versions of this debate in a previous session, when a private member's bill was brought forward around corporate social responsibility with a particular emphasis on the mining companies. I know the diminishing caucus of the New Democrats with respect to mining might explain why they are more focused on government intervention.
When I attended the PDAC conference this year or the year prior there was a lot of excitement about e3 Plus, a program that inspires and sets out a framework for the corporations, particularly mining and energy companies, to act responsibly when abroad, and sets the balance to keep corporate operations here in Canada, particularly for our mining companies.
I was wondering if the member could comment on what his proposals might be or what his thoughts are on letting the industry do some self-regulation when it comes to corporate social responsibility, rather than this paternalistic kind of approach that he is advocating.
Fighting Foreign Corruption Act June 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, it sounds like Canada is on the right track.
Given our international reputation in these regards, does the member not think that some of this fighting corruption starts right here at home? More pointedly, does the member believe that the Leader of the Opposition, who has had some knowledge of corruption for more than 17 years and has not come clean with Canadians, might be a starting point in a discussion?
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, we are working toward a three pillar concept in legislation that supports the penultimate goal of safe drinking water and effective, responsible waste water treatment on reserve. That comes from investment specific to this legislation.
As the minister before had done so in his communications, he had effectively said to first nations leadership that we wanted to engage in a process where investments would be made in this kind of infrastructure, but that it had to be done synchronistically with the other pillars that I spoke of at length in my speech and subsequently in questions.
To restate with emphasis, these all go toward the goal of ensuring safe drinking water and effective, responsible, waste water treatment on reserve that meets what other Canadians have come to expect.
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, we have the questions in reverse. I get a lob from the Liberal Party, and I get a tough but fair question from a member of this caucus.
However, the member is spot on. He has come to me on a number of occasions and made representations on behalf of the first nation communities in his region. I appreciate his consideration of those, and he is right.
As I had alluded to in answer to the previous question, the lifespan of infrastructure for water and waste water treatment on reserve tends to be shorter than the lifespan of similar infrastructure outside of first nation lands. A big part of the reason for that is that it is often the case that reporting, monitoring and maintenance are missing. We want to be able to support the rehabilitation and replacement of infrastructure with the kinds of certified operators who can identify capacity thresholds, identify malfunctioning, and ensure that testing is done properly. That, for the benefit of taxpayers, is also protecting their investment, ensuring that the considerable amount of money that is being invested in this process is going not just to good use, but is being used effectively.
Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act June 4th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, it is a lob question. I began my professional career living in isolated and remote first nation communities in 1991. Over the course of some 15 or 16 years, while that party was in power, here is what I came to know. Yes, there were important pieces of infrastructure built on reserve. The problem was that there was not anybody certified to operate them appropriately, so their lifespan decreased immensely.
We know that some communities were on boil-water advisories for decades. We are working to correct that system, and we are doing it with the Assembly of First Nations, which, for the record, embarked on this coast to coast to coast consultation. It worked with technical experts, operators who certify other operators, community colleges and the like, to ensure that we would have that important capacity piece, that critical infrastructure would be developed on the basis that there were actually trained and certified operators to operate that infrastructure, and then finally dialectically that there would in fact be actual regulations to adhere to.
That is a process that is born out of extensive consultation. It was begun and supported by the Assembly of First Nations. There are numerous first nation communities that are actively putting members of their communities in training programs to ensure that, as we move forward, they will have certified operators to operate infrastructure, which will be rehabilitated and replaced based on those certifications, and legislation that provides regulations for them and the federal government to adhere to. I think that is pretty reasonable.