Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. Thanks very much. I think I'll start the presentation by telling you a little story about how this all unfolded and how I got involved. In 2017 I visited the Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre. Millbrook First Nation is a small first nation in my riding, but very prog

Canadian Heritage committee  They also spelled my name right, which is the important thing. That's the impact it's had. We had calls from Germany. We had calls from Britain, the U.S., and all over asking about the details of the bill. We had a call from the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Association

Canadian Heritage committee  The experience I had was that Millbrook had no place to turn. I talked to museums, and they talk about repatriation, but from talking to indigenous communities, I feel they don't provide the help they need. The whole goal is to add a voice to small indigenous communities like Mil

Canadian Heritage committee  I didn't know.

Canadian Heritage committee  They're still talking about it.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'd like to respond to part of it. First of all, there's nothing in this about confiscation if you have a legally acquired artifact. The robe was legally acquired.

Canadian Heritage committee  The man bought it in 1843. He died and left it to the museum. It was totally legal, no question. There's nothing in this about confiscation. I started to tell you about the U.S., and I don't think I finished the story. They have laws in the U.S. saying that an institution that r

Canadian Heritage committee  We're open to strengthening it or amending it. I'm convinced that this is really a much more important thing than I thought it was when I started.

Canadian Heritage committee  That's right.

Canadian Heritage committee  This one's in Australia. Hopefully, it will come.... It's in Australia in a closet, we think.

Canadian Heritage committee  I do, but first of all we want to bring them back from Australia and other countries if we can. I live in Nova Scotia, but this robe is known to aboriginals in Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick and Newfoundland. They know it well. This robe is something they talk about. It's p

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you.

Canadian Heritage committee  I'm going to have to start wearing sunglasses.

Canadian Heritage committee  I was just sitting here thinking I'm going to celebrate the 30th anniversary of my first election in two months.

Canadian Heritage committee  Now, mind you, I've been thrown in, thrown out, and recycled. I've changed parties a few times, run as an independent, and I've been involved with some wonderful things. I had a private member's bill on brain tumour registries; it was really meaningful, but this is turning out to