Public Accounts committee  To that, I would say that I will ask that question again. I will come back the next time you're before this committee to see what progress has been made specifically on that. I want to follow up with regard to a 2022 survey that Indigenous Services Canada undertook. Fewer than 10% of first nations communities actually responded.

Public Accounts committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to open with a comment that is mainly directed to the CMHC. I don't want to sound glib, but “do better”. That's my comment to the CMHC right now, specifically on first nations housing and the fact that you're using data from two decades ago. Come on: Do better.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, first nations in B.C. have suffered enormous loss throughout their 200-year history of colonization, including the devastating loss of language and culture. Although nations continue to make tremendous progress revitalizing their languages, the Liberals' new formula on funding means a 60% cut to language programs in B.C.

Softwood Lumber  I will briefly reflect that in Centre Block, in the Speaker's chambers, with a number of visiting conservationists and first nations, he proposed a toast to “the conspiracy to save the planet”. It was a non-partisan conspiracy, with Progressive Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats and members of the Bloc all working together.

Environment committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I would like to thank Dr. John Pomeroy for being here today at the table with me. Dr. Pomeroy is the Canada research chair in water resources and climate change. He is the inspiration behind this bill.

Softwood Lumber  Madam Chair, I was just reading a quote from the release for Iskum Investments, the new consortium of indigenous companies on the coast of B.C. I was reading a quote from waamiiš Ken Watts. He is the elected chief councillor of Tseshaht Nation. He said: As First Nations decision-makers and leaders, it is our responsibility to help find positive and productive solutions and be proactive in our efforts to solve the complex problems that society faces.

Privilege  I note this because Mr. Speaker Fraser was the first Speaker to be elected in the House by a secret ballot after the 1986 report of the McGrath committee, which made its recommendations as a committee, I might add, working on a consensus basis.

Softwood Lumber  There is a new forestry company that just launched last week called Iskum, which is basically a consortium of over 20 first nations in coastal British Columbia. It is led by Chief John Jack of the Huu-ay-aht Nation and the former elected chief, Robert Dennis. We know the forest industry currently employs about 10,000 indigenous individuals, both directly and indirectly.

Environment committee  It's a start. One thing we found in the Global Water Futures program is that there's almost nowhere in Canada where there is a flood prediction point on a first nations territory, on an indigenous territory. We put them in the big cities. That's where the gauges and the prediction points went.

Health committee  That, given The Minister of Mental Health and Addictions has asserted that there is “no evidence of widespread diversion”, and yet the Health Canada data released today shows that police seizures of government-issued hydromorphone (Dilaudid) in British Columbia have increased fourfold, or 300%, since the implementation of “safe supply,” from less than 100 seizures per year to 408 seizures in 2023; The Prince George RCMP reported the seizure of “thousands” of safe supply pills in an illegal drug bust of 10,000 individual prescription pills last month, and police in Campbell River, B.C. have reported the seizure of 3,500 diverted safe supply pills on the territory of the We Wai Kai Nation; The chief of the We Wai Kai Nation has harshly criticized the so-called “safe supply” experiment; 3,656 people in British Columbia have received government-issued hydromorphone because of this dangerous experiment; and There have been reports of diverted safe-supply drugs being sold in schools; The committee call the following witnesses: the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Health Canada officials for no less than two hours; RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme; Assistant Commissioner John Brewer of RCMP “E” Division.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the electoral district of Courtenay—Alberni, broken down by fiscal year, since fiscal year 2005-06: what are all the federal infrastructure investments, including direct transfers to municipalities, regional district associations or First Nations, national parks, highways, etc.?

Softwood Lumber  Madam Chair, I know the Bloc worked with the NDP when it came to the bill that was brought forward by my good friend and colleague from South Okanagan—West Kootenay, who lives in Penticton, on mass timber used by the federal government, in order to do exactly that. However, the federal government has not done it.

Softwood Lumber  Madam Chair, it is an honour and privilege tonight to join this debate. This is a debate that is long overdue. We need new ideas around the softwood lumber dispute and we need a different approach. Canada and the United States have been fighting over this softwood lumber issue for over 42 years, and it is time to stop the partisan politics.

Government Operations committee  That's the plan—simple. It would create three million dollars' worth of investment in Saint John. It would create multi-millions of investment. It would be multi-million dollars to the first nations. It's doing exactly what is happening out west.

Agriculture committee  Thank you. You mentioned in your comment the lack of knowledge of this industry and its impact on first nations and Métis communities specifically. We had a comment from one of our colleagues, who said, “I would object to referring to the Métis traditions and cultures as though somehow this is consistent with indigenous culture and traditions.”