Lobster Fishery Dispute in Nova Scotia  Madam Speaker, I really do think the member knows the government does not direct the RCMP to do anything. This is about protecting populations and maintaining the law as peace officers, hopefully. I want to reassure the member that the fish plants being put forward are based on

Lobster Fishery Dispute in Nova Scotia  I would like to advise the hon. member that we are in the midst of a pandemic. I have not been on a plane since March. I have been conducting my business from here and from Ottawa throughout this time. We have had very successful negotiations, including the signing of the agreeme

Lobster Fishery Dispute in Nova Scotia  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Sydney—Victoria. I am speaking to the House from my Toronto home, which is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. We honour all indigenous peoples who paddled these wat

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I share the concern of the member. I too participated yesterday, October 4, as we honoured the lives of those who had gone missing and supported the families of the MMIWG, two-spirited and gender-diverse people across the country. Our government is determined to wor

Orange Shirt Day  Mr. Speaker, it is only by increasing our collective understanding of the damage done by the perceived superiority embedded in colonial policies that we will be able to confront and meaningfully address the racism toward indigenous peoples that shamefully exists in all of our ins

Orange Shirt Day  Mr. Speaker, today it is truly important that I recognize that we are gathered here on the unceded territory of the Algonquin people. The spirit of their ancestors must guide our work here in Parliament. On this day, September 30, Canadians across the country will be wearing ora

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, all Canadians should have access to safe, clean and reliable drinking water. As of March 31, 2020, more than $1.6 billion of targeted funding has been invested to support 619 water and waste-water projects, including 331 that are now completed. These projects will se

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we recognize the urgency of this situation and the significant impact it is having on Canadians from coast to coast to coast. We remain hopeful for a peaceful resolution to the blockades. That is why I was in regular contact with the hereditary chiefs all last week.

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite needs to understand that indigenous nations have to determine these decisions themselves. This is about understanding that, going forward, the hereditary leadership plus the elected chief and council need to come forward to form their government

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, our government has been working 24/7 to resolve this issue in a peaceful and durable manner. We all recognize the significant impact these blockades are having on Canadians. That is why I was in regular contact with the hereditary chiefs of the Wet'suwet'en nation al

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I too was questioning the number. I understand there are 13 hereditary chiefs. There are four vacancies now. I do not see that a majority of the hereditary chiefs right now are in support of this project. The question is about coming together in harmony, consensus

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's thoughtfulness and understanding of the urgency and the real risk of making a difficult situation even worse. We are pursuing dialogue, making an attempt at dialogue. As the hereditary chiefs have come east to meet with the Mohawk, there

Business of Supply  Yes, indeed, Madam Speaker, I spoke with Chief Woos on Sunday. We had a conference call with a number of the hereditary chiefs on Tuesday. They have some issues that they need to deal with before they can meet with me, but they know that this will continue. My officials met in S

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, the hon. member just answered his own question. The motion today is about standing in solidarity with one side in the disputes within that community. Our approach is that we must be able to unlock a peaceful space to have a conversation that will lead to consensu

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the very interesting question. The withdrawal of the RCMP today is a first step. We are hoping that this independent decision by the RCMP will lead to the barricades coming down. It is very important to understand that a company's deci