44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 23, 2023
- 04:09:05 p.m.
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Thank you, President, for being here today and for the conversation.
I know that you've been following the proceedings very closely and what's been going on over the last several weeks, and you've heard the concerns. We spoke quite a bit about the Chiefs of Ontario and some of those concerns in northern Ontario.
I want to talk a little bit more about what my colleague Ms. Idlout talked about and the concerns that are being raised by Métis groups, both the MMF and the Métis settlements, the folks from Alberta. We haven't heard a lot from Saskatchewan, but we have in some of these other communities.
Maybe let me start with just framing this. Since you're the national president who represents all of these organizations or Métis people in the country, I'm going to give you an opportunity to offer your comments on what the concern is for you in the divide between your own people—between your own communities, so to speak—and what that means to you.
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- 04:11:16 p.m.
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Thank you. I don't want to cut you off, but I'm very limited here.
I'm going to comment back. You can maybe make a quick comment, but I want to get to one more question.
I was out in northern Saskatchewan last week, to be honest with you, talking to people in a number of Métis communities. One of the concerns about the right to choose is that, if I have the right to choose but choose not to, then I'm not going to qualify for some of the health benefits and some of those kinds of things that are going to be part of the self-government recognition. It comes with funding for providing health benefits and some of those section 35 rights. If I choose not to be represented by one of the provincial Métis organizations, then my right to choose means that I don't have access to some of those benefits.
Can you give me as quick a comment as you can in response to that? I really do want to get to one more question.
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- 04:12:17 p.m.
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In fairness, President, you're talking about the individual having the right to choose who represents them in the context of the Métis settlements, compared to the MNA, in this case. That is a concern.
I don't want to get into a debate with you, because I really want to get one more question in. You and I can chat later a little bit.
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- 04:12:33 p.m.
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We had the MMF here a few weeks ago, and I'm sure you were watching. In the context of some of the concerns they raised, they made a comment—which I think we're all aware of. They're in the final stages of treaty negotiations with the Government of Canada for MMF.
My question is actually pretty simple. I'm just curious about your response.
What happens if Bill C-53 doesn't get passed but the MMF treaty does? What does that mean to MNC and the three organizations that we're talking about in this legislation?
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- 04:14:00 p.m.
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I think he's going to cut me off right about now.
Thank you, Chair.
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- 04:29:00 p.m.
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Thank you.
I'm going to come at this one more time, because I want to be certain, President.
I spoke to people in Saskatchewan last week, who told me that, when we talk about section 35 rights in the context of health, for example—health benefits—if you're a member of a first nation and you have to receive dialysis, for example, in the city of Saskatoon and you live in northern Saskatchewan, you have travel benefits and you have some of these other things through the appropriate programs.
As a Métis individual in northern Saskatchewan, you are covered by Saskatchewan Health, but the MN-S is looking to add benefits that would be the same—for travel if you have to go for dialysis and those kinds of benefits, but they say they would not receive those unless they chose to be a member of the MN-S, in this case.
You can hear where I am coming from. The rights and privileges, or the right to choose your membership is less than a free right if you're going to have a gun held to your head in the sense that some of the benefits you.... Are they misunderstanding this? I guess that would be the other option. Are they understanding the truth of this?
I'll let you clarify that.
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- 04:31:13 p.m.
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Thank you.
Very quickly, because I think I'm nearly out of time, this has taken a long time. It started back in 2018. There's been a long process. It's gotten delayed many times through many processes.
Can you just speak to the delays? What do you think has caused all of these delays from 2018 to when the legislation finally got introduced in June 2023?
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