An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families  Madam Speaker, that question puts this in the proper context of not only the Truth and Reconciliation Commission but the first five calls to action, which were about children. When we think of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the articles say clearly not t

An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families  Madam Speaker, these are section 35 rights and it is about asserting jurisdiction, as these section 35 rights are being obstructed by article 88 in the Indian Act. We are working with the provinces and territories at the trilateral tables to try to achieve a better outcome for t

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, building a health facility in Grassy Narrows is an absolute priority. That is why the minister went yesterday to meet with the chief and council in the community. Progress is being made and we are committed to a comprehensive solution that meets the needs of all of t

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the inquiry presented its final report, in which it found that the tragic violence that indigenous women and girls have experienced amounts to genocide. As the Prime Minister has said, we accept these findings. Our job now is to develop a national action plan, as cal

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending this national tragedy. We know that the actions and policies of past governments directly led to the loss and extinguishment of indigenous languages, culture and traditional practices. We are thanking the commission for the rep

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, gender equality is a fundamental human right, and Bill S-3 eliminates sex-based discrimination from the Indian Act. Ministerial special representative Claudette Dumont-Smith and departmental officials have held over 200 engagement sessions with communities and have

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, it is completely unacceptable that many northerners are still struggling to feed their families. Our government is expanding nutrition north to support a total of 116 isolated communities, although we know more needs to be done. We know that support for harvesters a

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, as with all legislation that responds to the kinds of negotiations that happen between indigenous governments, provincial and federal governments, this consultation needed to take place. We are now responding to what both Premier McLeod and Grand Chief George Macke

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, this bill is a priority for the government and is essential to restoring the legal certainty in resource development in the NWT. We have had two days of debate on the bill at second reading. The INAN committee heard from a number of panels of witnesses, and we are

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his ongoing leadership in all aspects of the Northwest Territories, and for his advocacy for the indigenous people and the indigenous governments in the Northwest Territories. I would answer his question by quoting David V. Wright, lega

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, I think it would be good if the member actually remembered what Premier McLeod said at committee: We don't see Bill C-88 as a partisan bill. It ensures that land claim agreements are fully implemented by maintaining the regional boards, and it also has modern ame

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, I am very happy to answer the member's question. I will just take some of the words out of Premier McLeod and Grand Chief Mackenzie's joint letter: “expeditiously through the legislative process”; Premier McLeod, “swift passage”; Chief Alfonz, “failure to resolve

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, I too have been very busy during this Parliament, as have all the members in the House. The legislation that this Parliament has been able to bring forth just shows how we have been able to work through this. I believe that the bills that are the result of agreemen

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, there are comments coming from the other side that are very unparliamentary. The regulatory framework in the north is an example of how local decision-making allows good projects to go forward, stops bad projects and sends mediocre projects back to the drawing boa

Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act  Madam Speaker, I have said a couple of times here already that when bills and legislation are the result of complete engagement between the partners, indigenous peoples and governments, the territorial government and ourselves, they are agreements that are exciting for us in Parl