QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs and International Trade
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Bill
June 19, 2019
Honourable senators, I would like to address my question to the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Harder, in May 2016, then Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, announced that Canada would support fully and without qualification the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.
More recently, she said the government is moving forward on a number of key legislative initiatives to implement the UN declaration and that Bill C-262 was part of that plan. However, Bill C-262, as we all know, is languishing on the Senate Order Paper. It now runs the risk of not being debated, let alone being voted on.
Senator Harder, can you tell us what the government is going to do about Bill C-262 and, more broadly, what will it do about the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People?
I thank the honourable senator for his question. It’s an important one. As I’ve stated in the chamber, the government supports Bill C-262, as well as other items of nongovernment business.
Senators will recall that I spoke in support of Bill C-262 at second reading. As Government Representative, I voted for the bill on second reading. However, for reasons that we understand, the Senate has not been able to get Bill C-262 and other items of nongovernment business for quite some time. Government business has appropriately been the chamber’s priority in recent weeks. We have not found agreement on all sides to resolve other business.
Honourable senators, it’s become clear to me that, at this stage, there is not a collective will to find an agreement to get to Bill C-262 and other items of non-government business. Regrettably, I simply do not see a path forward. While it is disappointing that private members’ business has not been able to get to the finish line, those who have been here over the course of many parliaments would acknowledge that the situation we face is not unique at the end of any parliament.
Therefore, on behalf of the government and the Prime Minister, I’ve been authorized to formally announce in this chamber that, in the forthcoming election, the Liberal Party of Canada will campaign on a promise to implement, as government legislation, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples when it forms the government again in October. The Government of Canada will thereby intend to bring forward legislation introducing UNDRIP and ensuring its expeditious consideration, review and passage. Introducing government legislation to implement UNDRIP will be a platform commitment that Canadians will be able to vote on in the election in October.
