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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 316

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 23, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 316 - May/23/24
Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/23/24 11:11:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Nuchatlaht have cited that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act requires the federal government to make its laws consistent with UNDRIP. How will the minister change parliamentary process and procedure, in the passing of laws through Parliament and the Senate, to include indigenous involvement and consent? Right now, first nations can help draft laws and have input, but once it reaches the tabling of legislation and changes, there is no real role for first nations to consent to proposed changes through committee and final adoption.
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Hon. Arif Virani
  • May/23/24 11:12:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the passage of the UNDRIP through Parliament was historic. It created an annual reporting requirement and changed fundamentally the way we do business as a government. The important involvement of indigenous people at the development stages, including through co-development, of legislation that has an impact or has a potential to impact on their rights is significant, and I have seen that in the work I am doing. I have seen that across 25 other departments that are touched upon by the UN declaration act action plan, which has 181 different measures.
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Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/23/24 11:13:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister's predecessor, Mr. Lametti, invited consultations with nations with respect to jurisdiction over gaming. This remains an extremely live issue in British Columbia and for Nuchatlaht people. In the context of the recognition of nations' inherent rights to self-government and with respect to the continued role of the province in the regulation of gaming activities on reserve, what is the position of the federal government with respect to creating a space for true indigenous gaming?
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Hon. Arif Virani
  • May/23/24 11:13:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are aspects that touch upon gaming in the UN declaration act action plan, and we stand by that action plan, which was co-developed with many different indigenous rights holders around the country. At FPT meetings, we have discussed issues that relate to gaming and the fact that we need federal-provincial-territorial co-operation to address this pressing issue. It will remain on the agenda and in the action plan.
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Mr. Gord Johns
  • May/23/24 11:13:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are looking for the minister to take leadership on this. In June 2021, the justice committee tabled a report about systemic racism in policing in Canada in response to the tragic death of Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations member Chantel Moore, who died at the hands of an Edmundston police officer during a wellness check. One of the core recommendations in the report was about the RCMP's Civilian Review and Complaints Commission. It recommended that it be required to include indigenous investigators and decision-makers, and that it ensure indigenous investigators are involved when the complaint involves indigenous peoples. These are critical measures to allow for meaningful and engaged indigenous participation, and hold the RCMP accountable for wrongful, negligent, reckless or discriminatory behaviour toward indigenous people. June 4 will mark the fourth anniversary of Chantel's death. A wellness check should never have resulted in her death at the hands of the police and at the barrel of a government-issued gun. Chantel's family and community are still waiting for justice. Can the justice minister tell us what the status of this recommendation is, what he is doing with that report when it comes to systemic racism and policing, and how he is working with the Department of Public Safety to ensure that these clear recommendations are followed up upon and implemented?
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Hon. Arif Virani
  • May/23/24 11:15:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would say a number of things. In terms of the tragic death of that woman, that is an absolute tragedy that I feel extreme sympathy for. My heart goes out to her family. In terms of a response, we are working on a number of fronts. We are working on reimagining how we do policing and what policing is as an essential service. That is something that is governed by the Minister of Public Safety, and he is working on that. Second, we are addressing systemic racism. We are calling it out by name. We are addressing systemic racism in policing, including in the RCMP. Third, what I am doing specifically is working on an indigenous justice strategy that is targeted at curing the vast overrepresentation of indigenous people in both our court system and justice system, and in our correction system. That will help with addressing some of the circumstances that led to that fatality, which should have been avoided and needs to be avoided going forward.
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The Speaker
  • May/23/24 11:16:20 p.m.
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It being 11:16 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today and Standing Order 81(4), all votes are deemed reported and the committee will now rise.
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The Chair
  • May/23/24 11:17:10 p.m.
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The House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 11:16 p.m.)
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