Jim Prentice

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, let us take the hon. member up on his suggestion. Why does he not table in the House where the Kashechewan money was booked? Why does he not provide that to the House of Commons?

The truth is that an agreement was signed by the former minister which the government did not budget for. Since that time, four of the six sites that were under discussion have been flooded. We will continue to work with the community in consultation to find a solution to this.

Once again we have a former Liberal government operating without budgetary parameters and with empty promises to aboriginal Canadians. We will not do that.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it seems clear that the House will reverberate again this morning with more Liberal empty promises to aboriginal Canadians.

The truth of the matter is that there was no Kelowna money in any of the Liberal budgets. No Kelowna money was ever submitted to the House of Commons. In fact, there was no Kelowna money at Kelowna.

Now the House faces the spectre of a private member's bill offering a continuation of the same thing, no money. The truth is that the former Liberal government never delivered to aboriginal Canadians.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, we should try to get beyond the sort of partisanship that we are seeing in the House. I want to be clear that I was at Kelowna but I do not believe the hon. member was.

There were two specific problems at Kelowna that the hon. member will not be able to address. The first is that there was no budgeted money flowing from the Kelowna process. The second is that there was no Kelowna accord that was signed. An agreement was never signed.

I invited the members opposite to table that agreement and they tabled a press release. This government does not govern with press releases.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is not correct in his comments. We continue to work with aboriginal Canadians. As I have said, the initiatives that we are pursuing relative to aboriginal employment, searching out where there are major job creation opportunities and where we can create initiatives with aboriginal Canadians on the creation of aboriginally owned businesses, are very clear.

In particular, I would point out for the benefit of the member the socio-economic fund, the $500 million that was announced in the budget, for aboriginal Canadians to create opportunities north of 60.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the procurement strategy for aboriginal business continues to be government policy.

I can assure the member that the inferences he is making about future policy direction are not accurate and as part of our commitment to continue to work with aboriginal Canadians and consult with them, we will continue to deal with that.

The department which I represent, in particular, is a strong proponent of aboriginal businesses, the development of aboriginal initiatives, and the creation of employment for aboriginal Canadians. We are continuing to make progress in that area and I can assure the hon. member that what he suggests is not correct.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that I do not accept the premise of the question relative to either Kelowna or the relationships between the government and aboriginal Canadians. Aboriginal Canadians are working well with the government. They are pleased by the budget.

We have solid working relationships with the Assembly of First Nations and all of the other aboriginal organizations with whom the Government of Canada deals. They have said that they wish to continue to work in a respectful way with the government. We are pleased with that.

In terms of Caledonia, we are at the table. We are negotiating in concert with the Government of Ontario, which has important responsibilities in this area. We will continue to make progress.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member has dealt with similar situations, so he understands the sensitivity and gravity of a situation such as this.

In terms of the process, let me be clear. The Government of Canada has been represented at the table by Barbara McDougall, a former foreign affairs minister, and Ron Dearing, a former chief of staff to a Minister of Indian Affairs.

Mr. Dearing, in particular, has spent the last 48 hours negotiating and Ms. McDougall would be at the table today for another negotiating session. The process is, frankly, working. We are committed to it and we will continue to pursue it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Justice Marshall yesterday requested the attendance of a number of parties at his chambers. The federal government was not one of the parties that was asked to attend.

I indicated yesterday that the government will be fully cooperative with Mr. Justice Marshall and as the hon. member well knows, the Government of Canada has been a participant at the tables discussing a resolution of the claims process.

The Government of Canada is being well represented by a former foreign affairs minister and I have full confidence in her ability to deal with the situation.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians have seen Kashechewan and all Canadians have been saddened by what they have seen.

I have met with the hon. member. I have met with the Chief of Kashechewan and representatives of the community. We have engaged in a discussion about a relocation of the community.

The point I simply wish the House to understand today is that the previous government promised to relocate the community and it included no money in the fiscal framework, not a dollar to relocate that community; more empty Liberal promises.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have met with the hon. member and we have discussed this matter.

It saddens me to say to the House that this is yet another example of a broken Liberal promise. Despite promises made by the previous Liberal administration and the previous Liberal minister, no money was set aside in the budget for the relocation of Kashechewan. It is shameful that the previous Liberal government would have resorted to misleading the people of Kashechewan with empty promises and with no money set aside in the budget.

We will deal with this situation.