Paul Martin lets out his wisdom:

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'We have consulted long enough. We have studied enough. The time has come for the government to act.'
-Liberal MP Paul Martin

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Or better paraphraised "We have sat on our ass and done nothing for 13 years, now it's the conservatives turn"

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Former prime minister Paul Martin won approval in principle Wednesday for a private member's bill aimed at resurrecting his cherished Kelowna accord.

Martin's bill, which would compel the Harper government to implement the $5.1- billion aboriginal pact, passed 159-123 with the support of Liberal, New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois MPs.

Conservatives voted against it. ...

Martin's bill will now be referred to the all-party aboriginal affairs committee for study before returning to the Commons for a final vote.

Although the Tories could try to delay the bill, they don't have the numbers to stall it indefinitely or defeat it in the face of unanimous opposition support. Nor could they stop it in the Senate, where Liberals hold the majority of seats.

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The House of Commons passed former prime minister Paul Martin's bill to implement the Kelowna first ministers accord on native poverty last night, increasing the pressure on a Conservative government already under fire from aboriginals who feel slighted by the federal budget.

All three opposition parties joined forces in a 176-126 vote to pass Mr. Martin's bill, which calls for the government to implement the deal he signed in 2005 with native leaders and premiers as one of his last legacies.

The vote took place as native leaders promised a "summer of protest" in response to this week's budget, which provided little new money for natives in contrast to the large spending increases in other areas. The Kelowna accord promised $5-billion over five years, but was rejected by the Conservative government on the grounds that too few details were provided.

Because the bill does not mention the $5-billion figure, the Conservatives dismiss the bill as meaningless, but Mr. Martin disagrees.

"Governments expect the people to obey the law of the land. Well, I think this government is going to learn that the people expect this government to obey the law of the land," he said.

The debate took a new twist this week when former Progressive Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney said on a CBC program that he "absolutely" supports the accord.

Mr. Martin noted that this week's budget shows the Conservatives have rejected Kelowna and are not putting forward an alternative.

"They have no intention of dealing with the increasing gap in terms of health-care outcomes and education between aboriginal Canadians and other Canadians, and that's just not acceptable. Not only is it wrong, but it's tragic," he said.

Mr. Martin's bill, C-292, requires the government to table a report in Parliament each year as to how it is honouring the accord. The bill must be approved by the Senate before it becomes law.

Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice has said the bill is simply a "statement" from the opposition that does not force the government to spend money. He noted yesterday that native spending is $1-billion higher than it was when the Liberals were in office. ...

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