Jim Prentice

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I observed the disparaging comments that the hon. member for Wascana made about Inuit Canadians and off reserve first nation Canadians when he described them as being “not mainstream”. It is troubling that the hon. member would insult the Canadians whom I represent. Patrick Brazeau, the national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, Jose Kusugak, the president of ITK, support the budget. These are respected aboriginal Canadians. So too is my parliamentary secretary. I am proud of him and I am proud of those people who have spoken in favour of this budget. We will not stand by while the member's party slams and insults aboriginal Canadians.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, once again, if the hon. member chooses to review the specifics of the budget, and I would recommend to her page 162 as I recall, this government has shown significant commitment to aboriginal Canadians.

The funds that are contained in this budget exceed any money that was put forward by the former Liberal government in the 2004 budget, the 2005 budget, and the economic statement.

It is a fair and reasonable budget. It is a budget that aboriginal Canadians can count on because it is real money with real results.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the budget represents real money, real funds for aboriginal Canadians. We are not making empty promises the way the Liberals had been doing for the past 13 years. For too long, all that aboriginal Canadians heard was rhetoric from the Liberals, but with little action.

We have promised real action. We have promised specific dollars. We are not going to make empty promises. The budget contains more than any Liberal budget ever offered to aboriginal Canadians.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the first agenda that I have dealt with is the advancement of social justice for aboriginal Canadians. That is why this budget contains an additional $1.075 billion to deal with issues such as off-reserve and on-reserve housing. That is why we have the $500 million Mackenzie Valley socioeconomic fund. That is why the residential school agreement is included in the budget.

I do not intend to take lessons or lectures from that hon. member with respect to this budget.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 8th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, so the record is perfectly clear and in case the hon. member has forgotten, this budget does more for aboriginal Canadians than any previous Liberal budget. There is $300 million for northern housing, $300 million for off-reserve housing, and $150 million additional dollars. It is a fair and reasonable budget for aboriginal Canadians, and the hon. member should know that or learn it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I have no intention of apologizing to that hon. member or anyone on that side of the House about promises to aboriginal Canadians.

This government has provided $300 million in northern housing, $300 million in off-reserve housing, an additional $475 million, $500 million for the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, $2.2 billion in relation to residential schools. We have nothing to apologize for. It is a good budget for aboriginal Canadians.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, let us compare this Conservative budget, not with Liberal promises but with previous Liberal budgets.

The 2004 Liberal budget had no new money for aboriginal housing, zero, nothing. This Conservative government has invested $300 million in northern aboriginal housing, $300 million in off-reserve housing. The Liberal budgets were about multi-year procrastination, fuzzy language and empty promises. This budget is about action. It is about a two year action plan. It is about real money.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is a fair and reasonable budget with respect to aboriginal Canadians. It contains extensive funding. In terms of the total budgetary situation, there was additional money allocated to the Department of Health relating to aboriginal health for the coming year. It is a fair and reasonable budget and I invite the hon. member to read the specifics of it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 4th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, our government has demonstrated a significant commitment to aboriginal Canadians.

The budget provides $300 million for northern housing, as much for housing on the reserves, $150 million for the additional fund and a $300-million increase for departmental spending. The total envelope is $1.050 billion. That is a lot of money. We are making progress.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, once again the budget involves $1.1 billion of new money for aboriginal Canadians, and it has received positive acclaim from aboriginal leaders.

Jose Kusugak, the President of ITK, representing Canada's Inuit, for example, said, “This is the most we've gotten in a federal budget”. There is more for his people in our budget than he had seen in recent years. “As tax paying Canadians Inuit will benefit as all Canadians will to the tax relief measures announced in the budget”.

Also, Grand Council Chief Beaucage said, “I am excited to see the government honour the agreement to compensate residential school survivors”. This is what is out there today.