First Nations Fiscal Act Destined for Scrap Heap

First Nations Fiscal Act Destined for Scrap Heap

Friday, May 14, 2004 at 14:38

A potentially contentious piece of legislation dealing with First Nations’ fiscal relationship with Ottawa will likely die on the order paper.

The House of Commons was poised to vote on Bill C-23 this week, but an amendment to the bill introduced by the Bloc Quebecois and a sub-amendment introduced by Churchill River MP Rick Laliberte pushed back debate to the point where it’s unlikely it will be passed before the House of Commons rises.

The bill would have given First Nations the option to borrow money for capital projects like schools in exchange for setting up taxation regimes on their reserves.

Laliberte admits if the Liberals were serious about wanting to see the bill passed, they could have forced it through — but he acknowledges the party is more interested in holding a federal election before the end of June.