Jim Prentice

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the budget puts forward $1.1 billion of new money for aboriginal Canadians. It balances the competing objectives of being fair and reasonable to aboriginal Canadians, and ensuring accountability and results.

Here is what Patrick Brazeau, the national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, had to say:

--it's the first time that a federal government has fully acknowledged our constituency being the off-reserve, Métis, non-status and status Indians... But secondly, you know, we see a government that's fulfilling its commitments.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 3rd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, let us ensure that the facts are clear. Aboriginal Canadians are real winners under this budget. We have provided the following: $300 million for northern housing; $300 million for off reserve housing; $150 million additional funds in the budget; and a $325 million budgetary increase for this department in the estimates last week. That is a total of $1.1 billion of new money. In addition, there is the $500 million socio-economic fund. In addition to that, there is $2.2 billion for the residential schools agreement.

This is a fair and reasonable budget for aboriginal Canadians that also requires--

[Safe Drinking Water, May 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question.

The new government’s program is based on accountability and assumption of responsibility. This should also be the case for first nations policies.

In the coming months, the new government will be working with Canadians of native origin. We are going to define the new framework for establishing the federal action plan and federal expenditures. This is something the Liberal government never did.

[Aboriginal Affairs, May 2nd, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, upon assuming this role, I had my colleagues from Regina inquiring enthusiastically as to where things stood regarding the move of the INAC head office to Regina.

The puzzling thing is this. My officials tell me that no move was ever contemplated, studied or planned. In fact, the former minister said variously that he had not heard anything about it, he did not know anything about it and there were no plans to relocate.

I do not know on what basis the member for Wascana is sending out literature bragging that this is his work in progress. Some work, some progress: where I come from, we call it bogus.

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the member and I have discussed the very difficult circumstances of Kashechewan, the sadness that we have seen there over the last many years and the unfortunate flooding that happened this year.

In terms of the fire situation, he and I have spoken about that and he knows measures will be taken to ensure that there is some fire coverage in the community on a very short basis, as soon as the flooding situation has been dealt with.

Again, there are meetings scheduled between myself and the chief to discuss the long term options for the community.

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, if the member has just returned from Kashechewan, he knows full well that we are dealing with the greatest flooding there in a generation. Departmental officials from my department met yesterday with the chief and deputy chief of the Kashechewan First Nation. He will also know that meetings have been set up for next week in Ottawa between myself and the chief. He will also be aware that the Emergency Measures Act and a 1992 agreement between Canada and Ontario requires Ontario to be responsible for the evacuation.

Notwithstanding that, we have officials on the ground and the situation is under control.

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 25th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to inform the House that the government's representative, the Hon. Justice Frank Iacobucci, together with the Assembly of First Nations, legal representatives of the former students of the Indian residential schools and representatives of three of the churches running the schools have today reached a substantive agreement on a final residential schools settlement agreement.

I have also been informed that the lead representatives for the Catholic church groups involved have given their assurance that all these organizations will be confirming their support for the settlement agreement. The government will immediately consider the settlement agreement and the interim payments and the timing of those payments, and I will keep the House informed.

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 24th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that under the previous administration the number of specific claims in this country ballooned from approximately 300 to something approaching 850 specific claims requiring some analysis on our part.

In terms of Caledonia, it is our intention to move forward with appointing the necessary representatives to develop the work plan and to present it back to the parties. This is a difficult situation and I would request the forbearance, the wisdom and the patience of the House of Commons to have this resolved.

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 24th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I met this morning with Mr. David Ramsay, the Ontario minister.

The difficult situation in Caledonia is one that requires a certain amount of wisdom and forbearance. Talks aimed at addressing the specific issues relating to the occupation are continuing. Good progress has been made over the last several days.

On Saturday morning, April 22, an agreement was reached to develop a work plan that will provide for an effective way, I believe, to address and resolve the outstanding issues relating to the six nations and the governance issues. We are hopeful that together we can achieve a peaceful resolution.

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, April 11th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would at the outset congratulate the hon. member for what I understand is his first full speech in the House of Commons. I look forward to working with the hon. member. We have philosophical differences and we do not agree on some things but he did strike some common themes in some of his comments.

My question for the hon. member is in relation to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. He touched on the pipeline and I sensed in his comments that he was not particularly supportive of that project. I would be curious to hear if he might describe to the House what his position is with respect to the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, whether his party is supportive of that project, what his thoughts are, for example, on the socio-economic fund that has been discussed and what thoughts he has on the aboriginal pipeline group and its involvement in the project.

If I might, I would ask the hon. member to address those points.