OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 02/22/13 -- The Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, today issued the following statement:

"It is with humility that I welcome the Prime Minister's decision to appoint me as Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. I would like to thank the Prime Minister for placing his confidence in me on this most important file.

Our Government has made significant progress in improving outcomes for Aboriginal peoples across Canada. We have built new schools, invested in clean drinking water systems, built thousands of new homes, increased funding for services for the most vulnerable members of First Nations communities, and invested in hundreds of projects to link Aboriginal people with job training services. But there is more to do.

This January, the Government committed itself to a high-level dialogue on the treaty relationship and comprehensive claims. I am firmly of the view that working together is the best way to achieve our shared objective of healthier, more prosperous and self-sufficient Aboriginal communities.

I look forward to meeting with Aboriginal leaders in the weeks and months to come. I also welcome the opportunity to work with the Territorial governments across the North on our shared priorities.

Our Government remains committed to working with those Aboriginal leaders who want to work with the Government of Canada to create jobs and growth in their communities."

This statement is also available on the Internet at www.aandc.gc.ca.

You can receive all our news and media updates automatically. For more information or to sign up for our Media Room RSS Feed, visit: www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1291225661056/1291225818571.