Thank you. I guess it's part of the government's mandate, it's part of our priorities, so I see it's something that we have to initiate, whether it's, you know, writing letters or contacting the Indigenous groups and saying, "Okay, we have to sit down and talk about this, and come up with something to move ahead." Because I guess, in the territories, throughout the years, I suspect at one point in time it was mostly Aboriginal First Nations people here, Indigenous peoples, and as time went on more people, non-Aboriginal people, came in, came from the South to provide us with programs and services, and eventually it's going to flip where it's going to be more non-Indigenous or non-Aboriginal people here. So we have to make sure that the Indigenous groups are involved in this, and, you know, we've got the Constitution to think about. We've got the Indian Act. We have land claim agreements. We have self-government agreements. I think all of that has a bearing on what this is. We have to start somewhere, and, just like everything else, like the Constitution and the act and all that, there is case law related to all that. I suspect, at one point, when this is implemented, when we implement this, we're going to see some case law with that, as well. There are going to be challenges. You know, some of it might be straightforward; other parts, some Indigenous groups are going to use that to their benefit, but we have to do something, just like everything else out there. Something was done at one point, and this is just something else to strengthen Indigenous rights in Canada. It's up to us. It's part of our priorities. It's part of the mandate. We have to take the initiative and go out there and meet with the First Nations and the Indigenous groups, and establish a plan of action so we can do something with it, sooner than later. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Rocky Simpson on Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on February 12th, 2020. See this statement in context.
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 12th, 2020
Page 127
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