Rod Bruinooge

[Committees of the House, December 11th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to speak to this motion but I am quite surprised that the motion to concur in this report actually came forward in light of the fact that the aboriginal affairs committee, on which I sit with the hon. colleague from the New Democratic Party, actually brought forward this debate in the previous session. This report has already been brought forward to this chamber and was approved by the chamber.

I see this action as redundant. I do not understand why the New Democratic Party is doing this. In fact, we are working on Bill C-28 right now, which would bring so many benefits to Canadians.

However, to speak to her motion, our government has done a number of things for first nations people, aboriginal people all across the country. We have actually looked at it from two approaches. Not only is more investment needed, but systemic reform, and that is an area that the previous Liberal government did not take on. We have actually done a number of things in terms of education, specifically in British Columbia with the British Columbia first nations education jurisdiction agreement that brings that systemic reform that is so needed in the area of first nations education.

I would love to continue this debate, because it is such an important debate, but our government has a lot of important issues to bring forward. We only had a few minutes' notice on this debate and we would prefer to continue it at another time and I assure this House that we can continue this debate on another day.

We have much other business, as we have so often mentioned this morning, that we need to take care of and therefore I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

[Indian Claims Commission, December 10th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the 2006-2007 Indian Claims Commission annual report.

[Aboriginal Healing Foundation, December 10th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour of tabling, in both official languages, a copy of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation 2007 annual report.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 7th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this process has been approved by the courts. The courts themselves, in conjunction with the Assembly of First Nations and the Government of Canada, have indicated a process for which claimants can make their claim on their own behalf. There is a process which validates those claims. Should there be a difference of opinion on those claims, there is a process for appeal.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 7th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, to date, the Government of Canada has received over 80,000 applications in relation to the Indian residential schools settlement. At this time, it has processed 34,000 of those 80,000 initial applications, totalling some $600 million.

This is an important finality to a very troubling era in Canadian history, and we are getting the job done.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, on the member's reference to the economics of the truth, I must say that she is truly bankrupt in that area.

If a first nations woman on reserve wants to bring forward a human rights case, she currently cannot do that. That first nations woman cannot go to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and file a case because first nations communities are exempted from the Canadian Human Rights Act.

This is something we are trying to do but unfortunately the members of her party are standing in the way and continuing to delay. We would like to pass this right away. They are stopping it.

[Aboriginal Affairs, December 5th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, this case has been looked at since it was first announced. Though there has been no court date set, I am sure it will continue to make its way through the courts.

However, I have to marvel at the member's raising this issue. She along with other committee members from the Liberal Party, the Bloc and the NDP have chosen to delay the extension of human rights to first nations people. They would like to see it put off until after the next election, which of course the Leader of the Opposition is currently planning.

I would ask her to begin working to extend human rights to first nations people.

[Specific Claims Tribunal Act, December 4th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the minister for his presentation and the introduction of this very important and historic bill for the Parliament of Canada. This is another step that has been taken by our government toward improving the very system that has for so long stood in the way of first nations people across Canada.

How does this bill in particular continue on with the new Government of Canada's perspective on improving systemic reforms within our legislation, within our mode of government? How will this achieve outcomes that will benefit first nations people across Canada?

[Aboriginal Affairs, November 23rd, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, I find that question quite surprising. Actually, it is our government that has pushed forward extending the Canadian Human Rights Act to first nations people. If it were not for the efforts of all the committee members and, in fact, the Prime Minister himself putting that important measure in the throne speech, the member opposite would probably still be voting against human rights for first nations people.

[Diabetes, November 16th, 2007]

Mr. Speaker, last week I met with the Styba family from my riding whose 14-year-old daughter has type 1 diabetes. This disease reduces her quality of life and increases her chances of heart disease, stroke, blindness and amputation.

Canada has one of the highest rates of juvenile diabetes and the number of people with type 2 diabetes continues to grow dramatically.

I have seen the effects of diabetes first hand because my brother, Nick, is one of the more than two million Canadians who suffer from this disease.

It is for these Canadians that the Styba family has asked me to present a key to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Finance as a symbol of the need to address this growing problem.

November 14 was the first UN recognized World Diabetes Day. I ask the ministers and this House to consider the personal costs of diabetes. We are coming increasingly closer to finding a cure, but we must act now.