Mr. Chairman, if I might begin comment, I think that I have to say that I am somewhat disappointed despite all the accolades that have been given to some of the responses. In fact, there have been some Members, and some Cabinet Members who have been critical of the fact that if we ask questions, we are nit-picking, and that the intention is to create a situation where people do not support the accord.
I want to state quite clearly right now that personally, Richard Nerysoo, I have no problem supporting the accord. What is important for the people here, and the leaders to understand, is that if we are going to sell this deal to the communities, details are important. They are the basis by which we can convince people in the communities to support the accord.
I do not like being told by anyone that by asking questions that somehow that infers that I am opposed to the accord. Now, people do not like that idea. Maybe it is an issue that people do not like answering detailed questions, but I will give you a good example. On the matter of aboriginal self-government, there is no doubt in my mind, and should not be in the minds of any of the Members here, that I support this particular issue. The simple fact is that since 1975, when I became the youngest Vice-President in the history of the Dene Nation, at 20 years old, I have supported aboriginal self-government. Now, I want to get that on record, and make it clear to people that, that is the case.
There are other issues in the agreement that concern me. For the first time this morning, I think Mr. Kakfwi, on the whole matter of the Senate answered the issue, and the ongoing process that had not been dealt with. I have no problem with the response given, but those are the kinds of answers the people in the communities are going to be asking those of us who are going to be supporting the agreement, and if we do not get the responses from those who are directly involved, knowing the details, then how is it that we, as Members, can go to our constituencies, and sell the deal? That is the issue that I was trying to raise yesterday. By raising it, it seems that people get a bit defensive about the fact that, for the first time, they themselves are going to have to answer the details, and that all of us are going to have to answer the details. I think that we have an opportunity, of course, to sell this issue based solely on the item of aboriginal self-government. That is unfair, because it is a greater package than that. It affects more people than just aboriginal people. It affects our future in terms of constitutional development as a province, other territories, and we have to convince people in Nunavut that their interests are not going to be given away in terms of representation either in the Senate, or the House of Commons, if we support the deal.
If we support it without those issues being dealt with, then I think we are wrong. We are wrong in trying to suggest that the deal is in our interest because we do not know that. I wanted to make those particular comments because yesterday I was getting disappointed that some of the answers that were being given, more so at some of the comments that were almost being directed at those who were supposedly raising concerns and questions.
Now, I said yesterday, that there were a great deal of questions that we wanted to ask, but on the matter, for instance, of aboriginal self-government, for those that do not like reading detail, I already have a copy of a legal opinion that was prepared for the Assembly of First Nations, that satisfies my concern about Treaty Six and Treaty Seven.
Now, that is what I am talking about when I say, let us get into some of the details. If the government says we have documentation on the legal interpretations of opinions that will be more helpful to Members, then we will provide it. I have not heard that yet, and for me to sell the deal and not know the details completely, I think we have to be, somehow crazy in our own views, to suggest, or even come to the conclusion, that people are not going to pay attention, because I think they will. In the end I think they will.
One of the problems that I can point out to my colleagues, those that want support for this particular document, all you have to do is watch the National, read the newspapers and one of the most important issues that has been absent from the "yes" campaign is detail.
Everyone who is saying "no", has analyzed the document and put on paper those issues that they do not agree with. You have to fight back with information. That is all I wanted to say to my colleagues again, because unless we answer these questions, you are sending us out to support a document that, right now, detailed information does not exist.
I think that Mr. Arngna'naaq, yesterday, said that he wants to see some of the legal text. Well, maybe some of the drafts could be made available, but that is not even available to us. We are not on the special committee, despite the fact that the special committee represents us. I do not want to be seen and placed in a position where I am speaking against my special committee. I want to be out there supporting the efforts of that special committee.
Mr. Chairman, I want to conclude by saying that I will be asking Mr. Kakfwi to review one of the recommendations that he has made, upon request of ordinary Members. I hope that we can resolve, what I think might be the first recommendation. One of the concerns that we do have with the recommendation is the idea of endorsement, and whether or not that extends the fact that we are pre-judging what might be the decision of the public, or whether or not it should be indicated that we support the document, but allowing the people to actually endorse those issues by a vote.
Now that issue, hopefully, will be resolved with Mr. Kakfwi as the Chair of the special committee. I also want to say that I support the comments that have been made by Mr. Koe. I think his remarks are extremely accurate. I think we still have to rely on the ability of our constituents to make their own judgements. If we are to convince them to support the document, then it has to be based on our ability to inform the people, and right now, that is not, in fact, happening.
We are generalizing on issues, and we are not giving them details, or at least, laying to rest their fears about the documentation and the agreement that has been reached. We have not done that yet. I am just asking my colleagues if you are going to promote the documentation, then the details and the issues and the answers on detail are going to be requested up here. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.