QUESTION PERIOD — Indigenous Services
Indian Act
November 27, 2025
My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Leader, since the introduction of Bill S-2, the government’s approach has been troubling. From the outset, the minister and yourself made it clear that no amendments would be accepted, raising real concerns about the respect for this chamber’s independence in our work. A remark regarding being racist made by the minister during a committee meeting had the potential to undermine the integrity of the Senate, the committee and the report.
As the Government Representative in the Senate, do you believe it is compatible with the independence of this chamber for a minister of the Crown to intervene with senators in this manner?
I witnessed the intervention of the minister at the committee. I think that it was a very emotional discussion that had taken place between the minister and the senator.
That being said, I think the main message of the minister and the main message of this government — and I’ll have the opportunity to reiterate it today — is not that we differ on the purpose of the amendment; we differ on the way it should be done because of our obligation under the Constitution and the obligation of the Crown. Indigenous Peoples have earned consultation, and those consultations are taking place at the moment. This is the only thing that the government is requesting: Wait for the consultation. That’s what the Indigenous community asked for, and this is exactly what the minister and the government want to deliver.
In regard to the end of the question, we all agree that —
I’m sorry, Senator Moreau, but your time is up.
The time to have reached out to people to cooperate, especially the Indigenous People in the committee, would have been in September when we had so much time ahead of us. To me, it was not done in the spirit of cooperation, consultation and reconciliation — the very consultation your government hides behind to justify not accepting any amendments. Why should we believe your government when it says it wants to consult —
Thank you, Senator McCallum.
The minister, who is of Indigenous descent, said that she agrees that the Indian Act must be amended to withdraw all the bad things that we have in this law, but there’s a due process that has to be followed: It is consultation. This consultation has been going on since 2023 and will end this upcoming month, which is in the next few weeks.
It is the duty of the Crown to uphold that obligation. That’s the problem we have.
