Statement made on 27 March 2007 by Senator Nick Sibbeston
Hon. Nick G. Sibbeston:
Honourable senators, the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples released its report on Aboriginal business and economic development last week. The report is now before the Senate.
The report focuses on the phenomenon of Aboriginal people getting into business and using economic development tools to participate in the Canadian economy in an effort to provide jobs for its people and create wealth. It should be obvious to any government that business such as this is important. This is one clear way that Aboriginal people can rise up and thus narrow the gap between those well off and the poorer people in our society.
While there has been a measure of success, there are many other areas in our country where Aboriginal people are having a hard time getting on their economic feet and need the support of government to be successful. Unfortunately, I feel the budget earmarked very little for the serious economic development that we envisage in our report.
My question to the Leader of the Government in the Senate is this: Would the minister not be partisan and adversarial on this issue? Can she describe how she could be an advocate for the Senate and for the Aboriginal people in her dealings and meetings in cabinet with her colleagues, Mr. Prentice and the Prime Minister? Could she be a help to the Aboriginal people of our country and do something to provide more money for economic development, which is so important?
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