Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Aboriginal Peoples

Issue 14 - Evidence - March 14, 2012

OTTAWA, Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples met this day at 6:59 p.m. for the consideration of a draft budget.

Senator Gerry St. Germain (Chair) in the chair.

[English]

The Chair: Honourable senators, we are now in a public meeting and I need a motion to begin the study of the Metis in Canada.

Senator Campbell: So moved.

The Chair: Senator Campbell, seconded by Senator Demers. All in favour?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Opposed, if any?

From the budget document you have before you, Activity 1, which is the B.C. study on health and the Arizona trip, I need a motion to strike that.

Senator Raine: So moved.

The Chair: All in favour?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: In relation to Activity 2, which is the Metis fact-finding, we are accepting it as is. but we are modifying Activity 3 and Activity 4 in the budget. We are reducing it from nine participants to three senators and two staff, as opposed to seven senators and two staff. On Activity 4, ten participants, seven senators and three staff, we will also go to three senators and two staff. The clerk and the staff will make the necessary adjustments to the budget; is that agreed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Opposed, if any?

I need a motion to allow the steering committee to finalize the changes approved by the committee this evening, once the calculations have been done.

Senator Campbell: So moved.

The Chair: That will get that in motion for us.

Now, we have the summary of the BC Treaty Commission process.

Senator Patterson: Mr. Chair, before we leave the Metis, are we going to follow the terms of reference recommended by the paper on this study? There are about five bullets on the Metis study.

The Chair: Do you mean examining priority areas of concern to the Metis?

Senator Patterson: Yes.

The Chair: Yes, I think they will be part of the study, but as a steering committee we will have discussions and we may focus a little more and narrow it down.

Senator Patterson: Is that included with the steering committee's mandate?

The Chair: I believe the mandate of the steering committee has that authority built into it.

Senator Patterson: Okay, that is good; thank you.

The Chair: I need a motion that the budget presented, as amended, be adopted; is it agreed?

Senator Campbell: So moved.

The Chair: Done. That should deal with the Metis study. Is that agreed?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

The Chair: Opposed, if any? Good.

Now we are going to suspend the meeting.

(The committee continued in camera.)