QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs
Indigenous Consultation
September 22, 2022
Minister, your government recently enacted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP, which incorporates a constitutional duty to consult Indigenous peoples while you consider measures that might adversely impact potential or established Aboriginal or treaty rights. Yet earlier this week at our committee studying Bill C-11, we heard from the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, APTN, that they weren’t invited to appear before the House committee when it was studying the bill, despite their request to do so, despite your claim this bill will protect minority voices and culture and despite UNDRIP. Minister, why are you not upset at the government’s failure to live up to its own obligations to Indigenous peoples under UNDRIP?
Senator, I know you’ll appreciate that the government doesn’t dictate who appears at committees, and who doesn’t.
My question, minister, was not who appears before the committee. The upper chamber did its due diligence, and we made sure those minority voices were heard. My question is why didn’t your government —
Senator Housakos, you had your question. The minister answered. We’re moving to the new —
I still have my time, Speaker.
It’s one question, and you have 60 seconds to ask the question. We are now moving on to Senator Pate.