Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, the Sixties Scoop is a dark and painful chapter in Canada’s history. On February 1, 2017, the government announced the launch of a national process to resolve these claims in a compassionate, respectful, and fair manner, as a way forward towards reconciliation and healing.

William Rompkey  Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I rise in the House today to honour a dear friend, a former member of Parliament and a senator for Labrador, for nearly four decades, Mr. William Rompkey, who died on Tuesday. Mr. Rompkey served tirelessly as the member of Parliament for Labrador for 23 years and as the first and only Labradorian in the Senate of Canada for 16 years.

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a) through (e), the Government of Canada is committed to advancing long-term reconciliation with first nations, Métis, and Inuit. In December 2015, the Prime Minister accepted the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report and confirmed our government’s commitment to implement the commission’s 94 calls to action.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, one of the strongest commitments our government made was to launch an inquiry into the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and we certainly have done that. We have set up an independent commission that is carrying out that process. However, we know we cannot wait for the commission's recommendations before we act on the real root causes of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government continues to work in genuine partnership with indigenous people to advance reconciliation, just as we did in signing the declaration with Inuit. I know the member opposite supports moving forward in that direction. I was pleased to be in Iqaluit with the Prime Minister , the ministers and leaders of the Inuit Nunangat region, along with the president of ITK.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I think it goes without saying that we remain committed to achieving real reform that helps move children in first nations in this country forward. We have immediately accepted the ruling of the tribunal, and our government realized very quickly the need to overhaul the child welfare system in this country.

Star of Courage  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to acknowledge Corporal Curtis Barrett, who is joining us in the gallery on Parliament Hill today. In October 2016, Corporal Barrett was awarded the Governor General's Star of Courage for his act of bravery, recognizing his key role in stopping the shooter at the War Memorial and Centre Block of Parliament in October 2014.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question because I think it is very important to note that this is a government that takes investments into infrastructure in indigenous communities across Canada very seriously. This past year we have invested record amounts of money into housing, water, waste water, and other infrastructure needs both on reserve and in northern and indigenous communities.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of the relationship we have established with young indigenous Canadians across this country. We will continue to build on that relationship. In terms of the Suzuki report released yesterday, I think it is important to note that our government stands by our commitment to end long-term drinking water advisories within five years.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we were very proud to meet our commitment to Canadians and launch a truly national independent inquiry into the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in this country. In August of 2016, we announced the terms of reference that would guide the inquiry, and the five commissioners who have been appointed are now leading that process.

lnuit-Crown Partnership  Mr. Speaker, I was proud to be in Iqaluit yesterday with the Prime Minister, ministers of our government and Inuit leaders as we signed a declaration to create the lnuit-Crown partnership. This establishes a new chapter between Inuit and the Government of Canada. It includes the implementation of the Inuit land claims agreements, social development, and reconciliation between Inuit and the government.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for the great work he is doing in supporting indigenous issues in our country. Reaching settlements is one of the most important steps along the journey of healing and reconciliation and has been established as a priority for our government.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that our government will always choose negotiation over litigation. As Canadians have witnessed this past year, we have made that happen in many cases across Canada. We are continuing to work toward real reconciliation with indigenous people. That means inviting them to the table.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we as a government have said again and again that we would prefer negotiation over litigation at any time. It is our preferred route to settle differences, especially those of historic wrongs with indigenous people in this country. That is why our government has launched negotiations toward a national resolution to the Sixties Scoop litigation.

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member that we are very engaged with first nations in this country. We are engaged with them on a path forward on accountability and transparency. In the meantime, the member can be assured that all contribution agreements between our government and first nations contain strong reporting provisions to ensure that funds are used as intended.