Statement made on 01 November 2007 by Senator Larry Campbell
Hon. Larry W. Campbell:
Honourable senators, as you already know, Bill C-292 made it to committee stage in the last session. I have no wish to repeat the speech I made on March 27, 2007 in its entirety. I should like, however, to reiterate that this is not a partisan effort. I strongly believe that it is in the interests of all Canadians that the Senate takes the time to review the benefits that would be derived from the Kelowna Accord.
Bill C-292 admittedly calls for the immediate implementation of the Kelowna Accord and requires that the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development prepare a report reviewing the progress made by the Government of Canada in fulfilling its obligations under the accord. I ask honourable senators opposite to move this bill along to committee stage so the members of the committee will be able to finally take the time to study the intention of the bill and determine the implications of this proposed legislation.
I fully understand that the Conservative government has its own approach, which may lead to future improvements. However, the Kelowna Accord is a different strategy. The accord took a crucial and innovative step forward in addressing the lack of input from local communities and large segments of the Aboriginal population. In any development program, there needs to be agreement from both sides and participation from each party to ensure that, three or five years down the road, the institutions that are created do not simply fall apart.
We cannot continue to move forward if the beneficial commitments made by past governments are not fulfilled because of ideology. It is not fair to either the organizers of the conference, the bureaucracy that worked so hard in drawing up the strategy or the Aboriginal groups that dedicated their time and investment into the success of these initiatives. The government needs to build trust, instill a sense of cooperation, and give the communities a stake and a say in their future.
Honourable senators, this chamber sensibly saw fit to refer this bill to committee in the last session. I ask that Bill C-292 be allowed to move forward again to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples, where, under the leadership of Senator St. Germain, we can continue to work on improving the lives of those who are most at risk in this great country.