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INAN Committee Report

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Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation
In accordance with its Order of Reference of Thursday, September 29, 2022, your committee has considered Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, and agreed on Thursday, November 17, 2022, to report it with the following amendments:

Clause 6

That Bill C-29, in Clause 6, be amended by replacing line 16 on page 3 with the following:

“6 The purpose of the Council is to advance”

Clause 7

That Bill C-29, in Clause 7, be amended

(a) by replacing line 20 on page 3 with the following:

“tion plan to advance reconciliation;”

(b) by replacing lines 23 and 24 on page 3 with the following:

“dian society and by all governments in Canada to implement the Truth and Reconciliation”

(c) by replacing lines 26 and 27 on page 3 with the following:

“(c) conduct research on practices that advance reconciliation in all sectors of Canadi‐”

(d) by replacing line 2 on page 4 with the following:

“coordinate reconciliation in all sectors of”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 25 on page 3 the following:

“(b.1) ensure that reconciliation is consistent with the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous peoples, including by advancing a rights-based approach to self-determination;”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 9 on page 4 the following:

“(h) monitor and report on the progress made on measurable outcomes, including in relation to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Action number 55.”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 7, be amended by adding after line 9 on page 4 the following:

“(h) protect Indigenous language rights, including by ensuring that, to promote and support the participation of Indigenous persons in the work of the Council, translation and interpretation services are made available to them.”

Clause 8

That Bill C-29, in Clause 8, be amended by replacing lines 11 and 12 on page 4 with the following:

“directors sent under section 3 are to be jointly selected by the Minister and the transitional commit‐”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 8, be amended by replacing line 13 on page 4 with the following:

“tee, taking into account sections 9, 11, 12 and 13 and the”

Clause 10

That Bill C-29, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 23 on page 4 the following:

“(d) one director who may only be elected after having been nominated by the Native Women’s Association of Canada.”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 10, be amended by adding after line 23 on page 4 the following:

“(d) one director who may only be elected after having been nominated by the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.”

Clause 11

That Bill C-29, in Clause 11, be amended by adding after line 4 on page 5 the following:

“(2) At least two of the directors must be residents of Yukon, the Northwest Territories or Nunavut.”

Clause 12

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by replacing lines 5 to 7 on page 5 with the following:

“12 The Council’s board of directors must, to the extent possible, include represen‐”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by adding after line 9 on page 5 the following:

“(a.1) Indigenous elders;

(a.2) Indigenous survivors of the discriminatory and assimilationist policies of the Government of Canada and their descendants;”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by replacing line 12 on page 5 with the following:

“of the Department of Indigenous Services Act, to reflect the diversity of arrangements that govern relationships between Indigenous communities and the Government of Canada;”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 5 the following:

“(f) Indigenous persons whose first or second language is French.”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 5 the following:

“(f) survivors of Canadian residential schools or their descendants.”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 12, be amended by adding after line 16 on page 5 the following:

“(2) The composition of the board of directors must also, to the extent possible, ensure and equitably reflect gender diversity.”

Clause 13

That Bill C-29, in Clause 13, be amended by adding after line 19 on page 5 the following:

“(2) To ensure that Indigenous views are heard in relation to the advancement of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the Council must consult with a variety of persons with relevant knowledge, expertise or experience, including elders, survivors of the discriminatory and assimilationist policies of the Government of Canada and Indigenous law practitioners.”

Clause 16

That Bill C-29, in Clause 16, be amended

(a) by replacing line 1 on page 6 with the following:

“16 (1) Within six months after the day on which the Council is incorporated, the Minister must, in collaboration with the Council,”

(b) by adding after line 4 on page 6 the following:

“(2) The protocol must allow, to the extent possible, the Council to receive all the information it judges relevant to fulfill its mission.”

New Clause 16.1

That Bill C-29 be amended by adding before line 5 on page 6 the following new clause:

“16.1 The Minister must, within six months after the end of each financial year, submit to the Council an annual report setting out

(a) a comparison of the number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in care, the reasons for their apprehension and the total spending on preventive and care services by child-welfare agencies;

(b) a comparison of the funding for the education of Indigenous children on and off reserves;

(c) a comparison of the educational and income attainments of Indigenous and non-Indigenous persons;

(d) the progress made on closing the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in a number of health indicators, such as infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services;

(e) the progress made on eliminating the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in youth custody;

(f) the progress made on reducing the rate of criminal victimization of Indigenous persons, including data related to homicide, family violence and other crimes; and

(g) the progress made on reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous persons in the justice and correctional systems.”

Clause 17

That Bill C-29, in Clause 17, be amended

(a) by replacing line 5 on page 6 with the following:

“17 (1) The Council must, within three months after the”

(b) by replacing line 20 on page 6 with the following:

“(3) Within 60 days after the day on which the report un‐”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 17, be amended by replacing line 13 on page 6 with the following:

“sures to promote, prioritize and coordinate”

That Bill C-29, in Clause 17, be amended by replacing line 21 on page 6 with the following:

“der subsection (2) is laid, the Prime Minister must, on behalf of”

Preamble

That Bill C-29, in the preamble, be amended by adding before line 1 on page 1 the following:

“Whereas, since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have thrived on and managed and governed their Indigenous lands;

Whereas, since the arrival of settlers and colonization, Indigenous peoples have experienced assimilationist policies, which must be addressed through reconciliation;”

That Bill C-29, in the preamble, be amended by adding after line 20 on page 1 the following:

“Whereas reconciliation requires the revitalization and celebration of Indigenous languages;”

That Bill C-29, in the preamble, be amended by replacing line 25 on page 1 with the following:

“the progress being made towards reconciliation, including in relation to respect for and the protection and promotion of the rights of Indigenous peoples, in all”

That Bill C-29, in the preamble, be amended by replacing lines 2 and 3 on page 2 with the following:

“ing through the provision of information re‐”

Your committee has ordered a reprint of Bill C-29, as amended, as a working copy for the use of the House of Commons at the report stage.
A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meetings Nos. 32 to 39) is tabled.