Indian Act  Madam Speaker, it goes without saying that many women out there today will benefit as a result of the changes we are making in the bill. Will it go as far as we would like it to go at this current time? No, it will not. When representatives of NWAC testified before committee, and I was there that day, they said that they wanted to correct all the discriminatory pieces in the Indian Act, however, they would support the bill going to the House without being withdrawn at that time.

Indian Act  Madam Speaker, if the legislation, which addresses the charter issues outlined in the Descheneaux decision, is not passed before the date that has been struck by the court, the practical implication will be that these provisions will then become inoperative within Canada, as the registrar will not be in a position to register people on the provisions found to be non-charter compliant.

Indian Act  Madam Speaker, the hon. member's question gives me the opportunity to remind people in our country that it was his government that fought against the elimination of sex-based inequities in registration for years. The government, under former Prime Minister Harper, spent hundreds and thousands of dollars of taxpayer money fighting indigenous people and indigenous women to ensure they did not eliminate those clauses.

Indian Act  Madam Speaker, I am rising to speak to Bill S-3 because it is a very important bill and one that, with these amendments and changes, will foster tremendous progress for many indigenous people in Canada. It is an act to amend the Indian Act, and it focuses on the elimination of sex-based inequities in registration.

Indian Act  Madam Speaker, I want to ask a question for the member opposite. The Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs has said time and time again that it is her intention to correct all of the discriminatory pieces that are contained within the Indian Act over a two-phase process. Will the member opposite support that process to ensure proper consultation with all people who have asked to be involved and to ensure that their voices are heard as we move to stage two of the changes that need to be made within the bill?

Indian Act  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague not only for his speech today but also for his contributions to the debate on this bill. He understands this very well. He knows the time limits the government is working toward. Therefore, in his opinion, should the government not honour the court ruling, and move forward with the acceptance of the 35,000 individuals who have currently been waiting up to two years for this?

National Aboriginal Day  Mr. Speaker, [member spoke in Inuktitut]. As Jose Kusugak of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami once said, [member spoke in Inuktitut]. I stand in the House today as an indigenous Canadian to honour National Aboriginal Day and to speak in Inuktitut as we celebrate on June 21. We are the first Canadians and Canadians first.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs received 456 pieces of correspondence in the form of letters and emails from stakeholder groups and from individuals across the country on the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls between November 4, 2015, and May 3, 2017.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, the former government imposed legislation and policy around transparency and accountability on first nations. That is not the way we do business. We work in consultation with first nations. We have been working hard with many indigenous organizations, including the AFN and the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association, on ways to enhance that mutual accountability.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we fully believe in an open and transparent process of dealing with first nations. We believe in full accountability for all first nations. There is a process in place at this time whereby members can obtain the information through their bands in their respective areas.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, fighting discrimination is a priority for our government and ending sexual discrimination against indigenous women is a priority as well. We are tackling this on two fronts. The first stage is Bill S-3. That bill will take an approach to reform registration, membership, and citizenship in partnership with indigenous people.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that we are committed to ending sexual discrimination against indigenous women. He also knows that it is necessary to pass Bill S-3 in the House of Commons in order to ensure that thousands of people who are currently being denied their rights in Canada gain rights.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition on behalf of my constituents living in the community of Churchill Falls in Labrador. The petition is with regard to full postal services for their community. The petitioners feel that there has been some downgrading of the service in previous years.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I did apologize on the weekend to Chief Hart and to Chief Nui . There was a misinterpretation of the numbers that were profiled in the budget. We have been happy to work with both communities to invest millions of dollars over the last year in infrastructure, housing, roads, water systems, shelters and all the other infrastructure that had been required.

National Seal Products Day  Mr. Speaker, today I am wearing seal in honour of national seal day. The bill has just passed in the House of Commons and is expected to receive royal assent shortly, making this an annual celebration. Inuit and coastal communities of Atlantic Canada and Quebec have relied on the land and the sea for their food security and their clothing for millennia, and continue to do so today.