Government Accountability  Mr. Speaker, after losing their majority and finishing second in popular vote in the last election, one would think the Liberals would have sought to govern for all Canadians. Instead, the Prime Minister is using a pandemic as an opportunity to bypass Parliament. Let us not forget move one was the Liberals proposing legislation that would give themselves power to tax and spend with no parliamentary oversight for 21 months.

Public Services and Procurement  Mr. Speaker, once again the Liberals followed up an election promise to indigenous people without results. The minister of PSPC failed to set targets or even put in place a mechanism to measure the actual results for indigenous procurement. In the minister’s 2021 mandate letter, there was no mention of the 5% indigenous procurement promise to indigenous businesses that was made in previous years.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Madam Speaker, let us just be clear in the question the member is asking. This legislation is already at committee; it has been at committee for weeks already, as we were required to do a prestudy of this legislation at the INAN committee. Maybe we should actually let some facts do the talking.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Madam Speaker, in all fairness, I could not agree more with the member. As I said in my comments, not allowing time and space for the indigenous communities to find an answer to the question of who has the authority to provide or withhold consent undermines the process. What I have heard from the stakeholders, many of them indigenous organizations representing opportunity for indigenous people whose mandate is to end poverty in first nations, is their concern about the uncertainty and the lack of clarity on this particular piece of legislation and how it may hinder their opportunity to fulfill their mandate of serving their people in first nations across this country.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Madam Speaker, I would simply point out to the member opposite that the slogan of my campaign and in my riding has been “Building Authentic Relationships” with the people I serve, in a riding that is 70% indigenous people. I believe that authenticity, being real, having good conversation and listening to the concerns of the people is the answer to repairing the relationship.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Calgary Centre. I am honoured today to speak to Bill C-15, as the relationship with indigenous people in this country is a lived experience for me growing up and living in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. I must admit there is some trepidation on my part as we embark on this journey.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act  Mr. Speaker, the minister referred to the pre-study at INAN and all the work that has supposedly been done on this legislation already. I do not want to let the facts get in the way of talking points, but at the pre-study at the INAN committee, we had numerous requests from individual leaders of first nations, groups of people representing first nations, and indigenous business groups that had not had the opportunity to have their say and give their input on this important piece of legislation, because the minister's party limited the amount of debate we could even have at the pre-study at INAN.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would start my answer by simply suggesting we are talking today about Bill C-22, not about climate change, so let us stick to the topic. In the context of discretion of judges, judges are professional. They have great training and they have great abilities. As a new member of Parliament I clearly understand it to be part of my responsibility to make legislative decisions, to set laws and to set guidelines for judges and for the criminal justice system.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, fundamentally I do not disagree with my colleague. As I deal with many of the people in northern Saskatchewan, I understand there are many underlying issues and there are many issues that are foundational to the challenges faced in these communities. For example, one of my chiefs begged me one day to help him teach the people of his community to be good parents.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would provide a very simple answer like I started originally. It is the responsibility of us, as members of Parliament and legislators, to give guidelines. I believe that is one of the fundamental roles that we have. In my time as mayor of a small city, there were two things that I took very seriously.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour to speak in the House today regarding Bill C-22. This last weekend the Prime Minister, while speaking to the Liberal Party policy convention, said that the Conservative Party of Canada was disconnected with Canadians. If the Prime Minister was looking for an example of a party disconnected from Canadians, he need look no further than his own party with the introduction of this bill, Bill C-22, and how it would affect those in rural Canada.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister made election promises in 2015 and then again in 2019 to eliminate all long-term drinking water advisories in first nations communities, he was glad to stand in front of cameras and microphones. As we have seen too many times recently, when the plan falls apart, the Prime Minister suddenly gets camera shy.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the minister likes to talk a lot about numbers and the advisories lifted, but let us talk about some other numbers. In last week's Auditor General's Report, there is clear identification of the Liberal government's failure in the past six years. In those six years, over 50 long-term advisories were added.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I want to share comments I received in an email from a gentleman who has spent his life serving underprivileged people as a captain with the Salvation Army in my community. He wrote a couple of days ago that “The reality of what is happening with this already profoundly flawed Bill, is nothing short of the abdication of what little moral authority our Government and Senate had—it truly signals the blindness to, the utter contempt and indifference of, this Government to those most vulnerable—and the present and future ramifications that will be borne by those most at risk—and indeed to the collective conscience of our entire nation.”

Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River  Mr. Speaker, when it is appropriate again, my riding in northern Saskatchewan is prepared to give a much-needed boost to the tourism industry. Northern Saskatchewan's natural landscapes offer something for everyone. Prince Albert National Park is an all-season, natural playground.