Business of Supply   chosen freedom from 34 sections of the Indian Act so they have control over their land and resources. Within the last two weeks, I announced the regulations that will now allow the natural gas facility at the Haisla First Nation in Kitimat to proceed, bringing jobs and economic

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I welcome him to the file. We have been negotiating with the government of the Northwest Territories for two years. Here is the member from NWT who suddenly woke up. This is the same member who voted against the Inuvik-Tuk highway. This is the same member who voted c

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government shares a common vision with northerners, and that is to give them greater control over their economic and political destinies. Concluding an agreement will be an important and positive step in the evolution of northern governance and will deliver econ

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of the member's question. Our Prime Minister delivered an historic apology to Canada's first nations on our role in the residential school system. That was in 2008. Since then federal departments have disclosed nearly one million documents to th

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we are reviewing the decision. The decision is anything but clear-cut. The discussion, in terms of relevant documents, was left somewhat open by the judge. We believe that we have been meeting the spirit and intent, but if there is a slightly different interpretation

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the concrete steps we have taken to improve living conditions and economic opportunities for aboriginal communities. We have built or renovated hundreds of schools, built thousands of homes, invested in safe drinking water and introduced measures to c

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, we continue to work with willing partners on shared priorities including education, economic development and access to safe drinking water. Our government will continue to take action because we believe that first nations deserve the same opportu

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, as a result of the January 11 meeting at which the Prime Minister and I met with first nation leaders to discuss economic development treaties and comprehensive claims, there was a commitment for a high-level dialogue on the treaty relationship and comprehensive clai

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we are committed to structural reforms. We cannot throw money at a problem. We need to make structural reforms. In December I launched an intensive consultation process that will take place with first nations parents, students, educational leaders and educators from

Questions on the Order Paper  Mr. Speaker, insofar as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is concerned, our response is as follows. In 2010-2011, the Government of Canada invested approximately $1.5 billion to support first nation elementary and secondary education, with an additional $304

Aboriginal Affairs   of the Indian Act. Just last week, I also announced new regulations that would allow a natural gas project to move forward on the Haisla First Nation in northwest British Columbia, creating well-paying jobs and economic growth.

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, our government respects our obligations on the duty to consult. Every year we carry out approximately 5,000 consultations with first nations. As minister, I have now visited over 50 first nation communities since 2010. I have had hundreds of productive meetings with

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the concrete actions we have taken to improve the lives of aboriginal people over the past years. Since 2010, I have brought forward six pieces of legislation that will improve the living standards of aboriginal men, women and children across the count

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, we are working in partnership with first nations on the issues addressed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We continue to work with willing partners on shared priorities, including education, economic development and access to saf

Aboriginal Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite knows we have been working in partnership with first nations for seven consecutive years. Since 2006 we have delivered on our promise to improve accountability and transparency. We have settled over 80 land claims. We have invested in over 700 pro