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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE |
Thursday, January 31, 2008 |
has the honour to present its
SEVENTH REPORT
Your committee, to which was referred Bill C‑11, An Act to give effect to the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement and to make a consequential amendment to another Act, has, in obedience to the order of reference of Thursday, November 29, 2007, examined the said Bill and now reports the same with the following amendment:
New clauses 12.1 and 12.2, page 4: Add after line 26 the following:
“12.1 (1) Within ten years after this Act receives royal assent, a review of the implementation of this Act and the Agreement may be undertaken by Makivik.
(2) Makivik may submit a report on any review undertaken under subsection (1) to the Minister referred to in subsection 12.2(1).
(3) The Minister shall cause any report submitted under subsection (2) to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the Minister receives it.
12.2 (1) Within ten years after this Act receives royal assent, a comprehensive review of the implementation of this Act and the Agreement shall be undertaken by the Minister designated by the Governor in Council for the purposes of this Act.
(2) The Minister shall cause a report on the review to be laid before each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after the report is completed.”.
Your committee has also made certain observations, which are appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
JOAN FRASER
OBSERVATIONS
to the Seventh Report of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Your committee has welcomed the opportunity to review Bill C‑11 and the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement to which it gives effect.
Through its study, your committee has gained an enhanced appreciation of the complexities associated with the comprehensive land claim negotiation context, and of the significance, for all Canadians, of the successful completion of constitutionally protected comprehensive land claim agreements.
Accordingly, recognizing that complex negotiations are ongoing in a number of jurisdictions, your committee strongly urges the federal government to redouble its efforts to ensure that all prospective beneficiaries of comprehensive land claim agreements are kept fully informed, at all phases of the negotiation process, of both the specific contents of the agreement under consideration, and of the procedures and consequences of the ratification process through which they express their democratic choice.