February 2019

Senator Dennis Patterson
Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: I rise to speak to the message on Bill C-57.

I’d like to thank Senator Harder for his speech yesterday which very ably summarized the three amendments. I want to emphasize they were unanimously passed by your Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources. However, I must say that I do not agree with Senator Harder’s characterization of the amendment which was rejected by the other place. The amendment which I proposed to the committee was about accountability and enhancing accountability.

Senator Dennis Patterson

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Senator Harder, you will probably recall nearly two years ago I asked Minister Freeland about the issues surrounding licences for privately run satellite ground stations in Inuvik. I asked you another question about it in May 2017.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Senator Dennis Patterson

Hon. Dennis Glen Patterson: Honourable colleagues, I rise briefly today to speak in support of this motion calling for a pre-study of Bill C-91, An Act respecting Indigenous languages.

This is a bill that is vitally important to get right. With this ever-increasing slough of legislation we all know about, we need the time to do our jobs. A pre-study is a responsible way of taking advantage of the time available to the Aboriginal Peoples Committee at this moment.