Statement made on 21 February 2007 by Senator Roméo Dallaire
Hon. Roméo Dallaire:
Honourable senators, I would like to continue the debate on the reason why the Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade had to resign from his position. However, I would like to draw your attention to another topic that I also consider very important.
I am not sure if the honourable leader is familiar with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. It is a federal foundation for the healing of victims and people intergenerationally impacted by the Indian residential school legacy of physical, sexual, cultural and psychological trauma and abuse.
This foundation funds 144 projects across the country and involves tens of thousands of Aboriginal people. The foundation will run out of funds on March 31, 2007. I understand that $125 million has been committed to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, but it is not available until the end of 2007 because it is being held up in Treasury Board.
A very fine gentleman, Minister Jim Prentice — a good, honest and transparent man — committed himself publicly to finding a solution to this funding gap. These shops will have to be closed down on March 31 until the new money comes in at the end of 2007. We are talking about $125 million. He even said:
As you know, the healing foundation . . . is an important part of the settlement. It's therefore structured into the settlement . . . and if a decision is not announced immediately, I will deal with it.
Honourable senators, why is this allocation of money hung up in Treasury Board, when we literally will throw into the street tens of thousands of Aboriginals and all those who have been working for nearly nine years assisting them?
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