Senate Committee Questions Martin On Kelowna Deal

Senate Committee Questions Martin On Kelowna Deal

Tuesday, April 08, 2008 at 15:51

 

 

A bid by a former prime minister to have the Tory government implement the Kelowna Accord was the subject of a Senate committee hearing today.

 

Paul Martin’s private member’s bill to have the Conservatives follow through on the $5.1-billion agreement passed in the House of Commons last year.

 

The deal was brokered by the Liberals in November 2005 when Martin was still in power.

 

In an address to the Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples this morning, Martin challenged assertions that the Kelowna deal didn’t address the accountability of Aboriginal governments.

 

He said it was Aboriginal leaders who insisted on accountability mechanisms being included in the agreement.

 

Martin also noted that, contrary to the opinion of some, the deal had funding earmarked for the off-reserve Aboriginal population.

 

He was also asked by the committee if Canada could continue the Afghanistan mission and still have enough money to pay for the Accord.

 

Martin answered “yes”, adding that Canada can’t justify ignoring the education, health and water needs of its Aboriginal peoples.

 

The Senate committee also heard from former Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott and Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale.