Statement made on 17 June 2009 by Senator James Cowan
Hon. James S. Cowan (Leader of the Opposition):
Honourable senators, on June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister of Canada offered a formal apology, "on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians," to the former students of the Indian residential schools.
On that same day, Pierre Poilievre, a member of Prime Minister Harper's caucus, told an Ottawa radio station:
Are we really getting value for all of this money, and is more money really going to solve the problem? My view is that we need to engender the values of hard work and independence and self-reliance. That's the solution in the long run — more money will not solve it.
The following day, Mr. Poilievre apologized for his remarks, which he described as "hurtful."
Exactly one year later, on June 11, 2009, we again had inappropriate comments from a member of the Conservative caucus, this time when we assembled in Committee of the Whole to commemorate the one-year anniversary of that historic event.
I will not compound the wrong by repeating on the record the outrageous remarks made by Senator Brazeau in this chamber to the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine.
Following those remarks, Chief Fontaine said:
What I have heard from Senator Brazeau is defamatory. . . . I am quite disappointed that Senator Brazeau would make those kinds of allegations. They are completely uncalled for but very consistent with Senator Brazeau.
When Chief Fontaine agreed to grace us with his presence last week, I, for one, did not expect that he would be attacked and defamed from behind that special immunity we parliamentarians enjoy in this chamber.
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A year ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stood in his place to offer an apology on behalf of the Government of Canada to Aboriginal peoples. Today, as leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Senate, I stand to offer an apology on behalf of my caucus colleagues to Chief Fontaine for the outrageous comments made by the member of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's caucus last week. I want to assure him that Senator Brazeau does not speak for members on this side of the chamber.