SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 336

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 16, 2024 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 336 - Sep/16/24
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux
  • Sep/16/24 7:31:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I was being somewhat careful about some things I talked about. One thing I did not talk about was the number of budgetary lines I could easily cite going into the hundreds of millions of dollars toward supporting the types of things I have been talking about. However, rather than talking about and expanding on those points, I thought it was more important to recognize that there are some good things taking place in Canada today that are indigenous-led, non-indigenous actions and things that are really making a positive difference. Governments of different levels should be looking at those success stories and ways in which the House of Commons can expand and complement them. Has the federal government given enough federal dollars? I know that we have provided a great deal and that there is a great deal of negotiations and discussions taking place. I do not know the finer details, but I do know that we are probably looking at record amounts of money today in comparison to what it was 10 years ago.
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Context: House Hansard - 336 - Sep/16/24
Mr. Sébastien Lemire
  • Sep/16/24 8:30:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I believe that one of the key words is trust. We need to trust the first nations themselves. The Government of Canada has too often shown a paternalistic or colonial attitude toward first nations. Let us not forget that the Indian Act is still in force. As a result, first nations are not allowed to achieve self-determination, and problems often arise because of cultural differences. The lack of respect that white communities may show towards indigenous communities too often can lead to problems. I would ask that we look at what is being done in indigenous communities, learn from their traditional knowledge and trust them with self-determination. Doing this also means committing the necessary funds and adopting budgetary policies over five or ten years, particularly in relation to fundamental issues such as housing, education, police and correctional services and so on. Communities must be able to take charge of their own destiny in a sustainable way. If they hire a resource but no longer have the money to pay for it after six months, but the money might arrive in three months, in the next budget, that does not work. Predictability is needed to enable communities to develop their own knowledge, expertise and leadership. I am convinced that we will see a net improvement, statistically speaking. However, the biggest improvement will be in the heart of communities.
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