John Duncan

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the views and concerns regarding the bill have had ample time to be debated and discussed. The bill was introduced on November 23, 2011. Second reading debate occurred on June 20, with the vote occurring June 21, and it featured almost six hours of debate in this chamber before being referred to committee. The standing committee met seven times between October 15 and November 5 to study and discuss Bill C-27. We also heard from 21 witnesses from 13 organizations.

During the report stage debate yesterday, the House spent over six hours of debate on the bill. The NDP had no less than 20 speakers. We heard no new opposition issues in all this time. On two occasions the Speaker had to intervene to ask members to keep their comments focused on the subject under debate. All this was for a relatively simple bill with only 13 clauses.

[First Nations Financial Transparency Act, November 22nd, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to respond to that question. We have a very important piece of legislation here. We are going to the very heart of what elected officials and government should do, which is to be transparent and accountable with their financials and with disclosing salaries, honorariums, per diems and expenses.

We have been talking about this for the last three years in various formats, and we also have some real deadlines from the standpoint that we have now had committees look at this. We had quite a number of witnesses, about 21 witnesses from 13 different organizations. If we do not have this legislation in place before the next fiscal year, we are going to go another year without this kind of reporting for which first nation members are calling.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the investments we have made in child and family services across the country are paying dividends. The preventive model we put in place is working to keep families together, including the extended family. We are proud of the results and will continue to work in that direction.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 20th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, our numbers reflect the total spending per student. The member opposite is only including partial expenses that reflect only a portion of the costs for on-reserve schools. Every year our government is investing $1.7 billion for 117,000 students on reserve. Since 2006, we have invested in 263 school projects, including 33 new schools. We are proud to support first nation students toward their career goals and the prosperity they seek.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 19th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, the member is comparing apples with oranges I am afraid to say.

We spend $1.4 billion on 117,000 first nation students across the country. There is a lot more to education than the transfer to the school. We have to build schools. We have to have a ministry. We have to have school boards. It all fits together.

When we do the comparisons, we can find that there is rough comparability, but there are differentials, which is why when we cut the agreement in British Columbia we—

[Questions on the Order Paper, November 8th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), economic action plan 2012 committed the government to having a first nation education act in place by September 2014.

In the coming months, the Government of Canada will be working with first nation and provincial partners to determine the path forward on first nation education through intensive but time-limited consultation.

In response to (b), as committed to in economic action plan 2012, the government will work with willing partners to introduce a new first nation education act and have it in place by September 2014.

The government acknowledges that improving the educational outcomes of first nation students is a shared responsibility in which governments, first nations, educators, families and students all play an important role. That is why, in the coming months, the Government of Canada will be working with first nation and provincial partners to determine the path forward on first nation education.

The Government will develop legislation through intensive, but time-limited consultation with first nations.

In response to (c), improving the educational outcomes of first nation students is a shared responsibility in which governments, first nations, educators, families and students all play an important role. The Government will develop legislation through intensive, but time-limited consultation with first nations.

In response to (d), improving the educational outcomes of first nation students is a shared responsibility: first nations, educators, families and students all play an important role. We look forward to the assistance of experts from provinces and first nations, including educators, families, and students, in the development of legislation.

In response to (e), the government has committed to developing this legislation through intensive consultation with first nations and other stakeholders across the country. We look forward to the input and perspectives of provinces and first nations in the development of legislation.

[Regional Development, November 6th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, this morning I was proud to introduce the northern jobs and growth act. This act would bring about important changes to help create a more stable investment climate in the north. It would also increase the predictability and efficiency of the regulatory review process for major northern projects. This act would allow northerners to benefit from projects that create jobs in mining, oil and gas, transportation and other business sectors in the north and across Canada.

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 5th, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, we are working very closely with the leadership from Lake St. Martin and with the province on this important community situation. We have put 60 trailers in place in order to have people move in. It has now been several months and we have exactly 11 of those homes occupied. There is a great reluctance to move to higher ground.

We continue to work with the chief and council and with the province. Their health and safety is our first concern.

[Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act, November 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly was not expecting that question on this bill. I am not aware of those statements. This is part of an environmental assessment process we have not even come to yet with Kinder Morgan. Therefore, that is an inappropriate question and it would be inappropriate for me to respond at this time.

[Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act, November 1st, 2012]

Mr. Speaker, it is our intent to move as quickly as possible on all of this infrastructure, certification and operator training question, because this is a health and safety issue. We have discovered, with our serious investments to date, that the national assessment set some pretty good priorities. I can say that when I was here for 13 years in opposition, we used to hear horror stories about water systems on first nation reserves over and over again, and now we have addressed many of those.

We have also moved forward from the standpoint that, because we have made those investments, we have learned a lot and there are new and more cost-effective technologies. We have a circuit rider training program in place; we have increased the percentage of the systems that have fully certified operators, both for water and waste water systems; and we have told the communities that we do not expect full compliance on anything until such time as the infrastructure and all the certifications are in place. That is all very positive.