Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, nakurmiik to my colleague. Food security is one of the most pressing issues in the north and one of the top priorities of the minister. The nutrition north program is helping communities address food insecurity, a significant and complex issue requiring shared solutions and partnerships across governments. Until recently, the program's main focus was its retail subsidy, which lowers…
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Madam Speaker, we will continue to work with all provinces and territories, as well as partners, to address their unique needs and support both public health and safety. Law enforcement has been clear: They do not want to arrest people for personal drug possession. Rather, they want the necessary tools to address issues of public safety. They support a comprehensive public health approach to addre…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns of the member opposite over the nutrition north program subsidies and the reforms to the program. The harvesters support grant and the community food program are part of the expanded nutrition north program and provide significant support for indigenous recipients with culturally appropriate and community-led food security activities. We remain determined t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the passion from my colleague. I agree that we need to do more in the country around indigenous policing. That is why the Liberals, including myself, put forward a motion at the INAN committee in April saying we should study this. The NDP has the ability put this in the queue. They have the entire ability to put forward a unanimous motion here that asks us to address this…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on September 17, 1999, Donald Marshall Jr. stood victorious in his case, which affirmed that the Mi'kmaq had a treaty right to sell fish according to the terms of the Peace and Friendship Treaties. This historic case changed the economic future for the Mi'kmaq. Not only could treaties be used to survive, but now people were also able to thrive. Thousands of Mi'kmaq jobs have been crea…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the member ensured that we had this debate tonight, and I appreciate her work at INAN. One thing I agree with 100% is that we need action, and I have given tangible solutions on what kind of action we could go with today, moving forward and talking to our ministers. I would also state that every single time we go forward on legislation or something else, the…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, when we quote studies, it is an important thing to talk about the overall general principle of what they want to do. We heard in what the member opposite said that they want to have legislation. Well, the best way to get to legislation is sitting down with first nations and indigenous leaders across this country, talking to them about that and saying what we are doing moving forward. …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. I would like to begin tonight by thanking my colleague, the member for Nunavut, for calling for this debate. Being one of only a handful of first nations MPs who have had the honour of serving in the House of Commons while living on a first nations reserve is something that I am proud of, but I often feel like I have to…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in the spirit of the National Indigenous History Month, there have been discussions among the parties and, if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: that, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-61, an act respecting water, source water, drinking water, waste water and related infrastructure …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada. It is a month to celebrate indigenous culture and indigenous contributions to our country. As we celebrate National Indigenous History Month, all parliamentarians could indeed make history by sending the first nations clean water act to committee for study. Bill C-61 would recognize first nations' inherent right to water, ensure tha…
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Mr. Speaker, our love of music brings us together as Canadians, but it is tough for our working musicians right now. This week, I spoke to JUNO-winning musicians who spoke to the struggles of being a musician because of anti-competitive ticketing companies. Thankfully, the United States justice department has moved forward on an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment …
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to parts (a) (i) and (iv), total expenditures on outside lawyers or legal advice and Department of Justice lawyers can be found in the public accounts of Canada archive, where information is broken down by fiscal year, April 1 to March 31. This information can be found in Volume III: Additional Information and Analyses, Detailed information Section 3: Professional and spec…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the important work he has done at the indigenous and northern affairs committees. One thing we heard during this study, as well as at the United Nations permanent forum on indigenous issues, which I was proud to attend along with my colleague last year, was that climate change was impacting northern and coastal communities at a far greater level than ever…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the significant contributions of indigenous tourism in Canada. Studies show that eight out of 10 Canadians are craving an authentic indigenous experience during their travels. Whether it be visiting a powwow, a local heritage park like Wanuskewin or Membertou, or taking a trip to Eskasoni's Goat Island cultural journeys, indigenous tourism continues to thrive…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her accurate statement of the law. It was a big victory, not only for indigenous people but also for Canada, on Friday. Not only does the case say that indigenous self-determination is available for indigenous youth, but it also interweaves, like a braid, indigenous laws, UNDRIP and the notion of legislative reconciliation in this House. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Conservatives for actually asking a question on indigenous issues, considering the fact that we agree the Indian Act needs to change. This is exactly why the government introduced the legislation on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This is why we continue to support that as Liberals. When Conservatives have the chance, they …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the extreme weather emergency in Sydney—Victoria following the unprecedented snowfall of more than 150 centimetres this past weekend. Once again Cape Bretoners are faced with the impacts of climate change and must persevere. I would like to thank the first responders, volunteers, employees at public works and all those who have stepped up to help, including…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her question and for her dedication to this file. Indeed, indigenous people all across Canada, and especially in northern areas, are feeling the brunt of climate change faster than people in other areas. I was at the United Nations last year, where they told our government this. The government is willing to work with their community and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, through the February 2023 Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement, or the 2023 agreement, Canada has recognized that the Métis Nation of Ontario, or MNO, is a Métis government and is authorized to act on behalf of its Métis collectivity. The Métis collectivity is comprised of Métis individuals who are citizens, namely those who have chosen to register, have been…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the Kiwanis Club of Sydney on the celebration of their 100th anniversary. Chartered in November 1923, it is one of the oldest Kiwanis Clubs in Canada, and it has been a core part of the community for a century. Its impact can be seen throughout Sydney, from the first library, the first seniors housing and the donation of the first Handi-Trans bus. It built…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his speech. A lot of his speech was talking about temporary foreign workers. Many places across Canada, such as my riding of Sydney—Victoria, rely on temporary foreign workers where there are labour shortages. The Victoria Co-operative brings in many temporary foreign workers to work in the fish plants in the northern Cape Breton area because they …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his passion in regard to advancing Métis interests across Canada. Our government is committed to working with Métis people. Our government is continuing to advocate and make sure that all indigenous children in Canada have the proper supports. We are going to continue to work with first nations. We are going to continue to work with Inuit people. We a…
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Madam Speaker, on this side of the House, we realize climate change is impacting indigenous communities in the north far more than in other parts of Canada. The Minister of Northern Affairs was with me at the United Nations when we heard this. We are looking for solutions. We are looking to work with stakeholders. I look forward to talking with the member opposite and to figuring out how our gover…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay respects to the 18 people tragically killed by a gunman in Lewiston, Maine. Our deepest condolences go to those impacted by this terrible crime. I hope leaders in the state and country will do everything possible for them to finally address gun violence. Like many Mi'kmaq people, I have family in the state of Maine. My mother grew up there, and as a teenager I spen…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that climate change is real, and Nova Scotians know that climate change is real. Over the past two years, we have had fires, floods and hurricanes. We have also heard that Nova Scotians need help and time. That is why I am proud our government has incentivized heat pumps and created incentives for medium- and low-income families to ensure they can make the transition to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this opportunity to talk about Bill C-49 while standing on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin nation. I would like to start by acknowledging that indigenous leadership, knowledge and culture are critical to Canada's effort to fight climate change. For hundreds of generations, indigenous peoples have been the stewards of the land and waters, including C…
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our direction of making sure that we are looking at clean energy and clean wind energy, as well as our commitment to the environment, is going to help all fishermen in the Atlantic. We heard loud and clear from the United Nations, when I was out there at the conference in the spring, that the stocks and all the fisheries are jeopardized by climate change. Unless we ha…
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Mr. Speaker, I am always concerned about where we are heading in this country and in our society, but I know we have to take those first steps in the right direction. We have listened to indigenous knowledge from indigenous elders and indigenous leaders; they have told us that we need to do more for our environment and that we need to look out for future generations. This is why I believe that the…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite. Cell coverage and cell service is not only an important luxury to have but also an essential service for reporting, such as when we have hurricanes, fires or floods. Cell service and those alerts are very important. We need to do what we are doing with the grocery stores: We are calling the grocery store CEOs and saying that we need them to do more. W…
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Mr. Speaker, it is disappointing to hear the Conservative member from the Atlantic continue to stand up and oppose good, clean jobs in Nova Scotia. However, over the past two years, we have seen hurricanes that cost billions in damage, and fires in the member's riding that cost millions in damage. We have seen floods that have taken people's lives. Yet, the member seems to be saying that there is …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I rise today to reflect on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I cannot overstate the harms that the Indian residential schools caused. For comparison, during World War II, one in 26 solders who went over to fight did not come home; with respect to the Indian residential schools, one in 25 children did not come home. Those who came home struggled, many having lost languag…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her passion. Our government is fully aware that in order to advance reconciliation, we need to close the gap between indigenous people and the rest of Canada, as well as address the harms caused through colonization and underfunding. Our government is committed to doing that. We have a tremendous ability and record of being first in our country f…
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Madam Speaker, I acknowledge that we have work to do on this file. I know this is something that might be coming before the INAN committee. We look forward to hearing from the chiefs and from the member opposite, and to working with them to ensure that we are fulfilling our obligations under UNDRIP and our duty to consult.
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Madam Speaker, when it comes to indigenous issues, the record of the Leader of the Opposition is almost as shameful as his comments—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, when it comes to indigenous issues, the shameful record of the Leader of the Opposition on voting is almost as shameful as his words when he said that instead of compensation for abuses suffered at Indian residential schools, aboriginals need to learn the value of hard work. In contrast, our government has a record of historic firsts. We passed UNDRIP into law. We had the first-ever…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to table documents with the comments the Leader of the Opposition made when he was a member of Parliament. He talked about his view. The actual words from the Leader of the Opposition were, “My view is that we need to engender the values”—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as someone from Nova Scotia, who represents indigenous communities, I have heard, loud and clear, not only from our provincial leaders but also indigenous leaders that this is an important thing for us to make that transition to clean energy. We have heard from Membertou Chief Terry Paul, who has talked to us about the importance of EverWind and hydrogen moving forward with all of the…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, with all of the different events going on for National Indigenous Peoples Day, I was unable to change my vote on Zoom. I would like unanimous consent to change my vote on Bill C-321 to be in favour.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussion amongst the parties, and if you seek, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of the House, Ways and Means Motion No. 17, notice of which was laid upon the table on June 9, 2023, be deemed concurred in, that a bill passed thereon standing on the Order P…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a Mi'kmaq elder, whose wisdom, knowledge and persistence will be rightfully recognized during Indigenous History Month. Albert Marshall, Sr., of Eskasoni, is this year's recipient of the lndspire lifetime achievement award for his life's work to preserve and foster Mi'kmaq teachings and language. Elder Albert Marshall is the innovator of the emerging indigeno…
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Mr. Chair, can the minister talk about some of the things we are doing to mitigate the climate crisis we have? We are seeing fires and hurricanes. We are seeing, all across Canada, the impact of climate change. Can the minister talk about what our government is doing to address that?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, health care and long wait times at emergency rooms are top of mind in Nova Scotia. Investing in physician assistants or PAs is key to reducing wait times in Canada and extending the careers of physicians. However, every year, there are fewer than 70 spots available for close to 3,000 applicants who apply to be PAs. There is good news. Our federal government has invested over $46 billi…
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Madam Speaker, the member talked about some of the lives that have been lost in his riding. We have seen gun violence happening in many countries. What does the hon. parliamentary secretary think it means to the families to see legislation moving forward that actually takes action to address gun violence, as opposed to just offering prayers and nice words? We see a government actually taking actio…
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Mr. Speaker, I will take that into consideration. I get so much time to speak to you, as a former Nova Scotia MP. Rarely do I get to speak to the Leader of the Opposition. The question was what your thoughts are around free, prior and informed consent for indigenous communities to be able to—
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Mr. Speaker, does the member opposite believe that the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous communities is important when it advances sustainable development?
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Mr. Speaker, kwe. Tansi. Hello. Bonjour. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that Canada's Parliament is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to speak to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act. I would like to recognize the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations for his work on this piece of legislation…
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Mr. Speaker, I will continue. I do not know how my clip is going to go after that, but I hope you will afford me a little time to go back and get myself back to what I was talking about.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the First Nations Finance Authority was a game-changer for the Membertou community. This allowed the first nations to refinance, freeing up funds to reinvest in business development, and the results have been fantastic. They include an $8.2-million elementary school, a 90-lot housing development, and a $9.5-million highway interchange that allowed access to future commercia…
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Mr. Speaker, the biggest part of my speech was talking about the enormous amount of success that communities are seeing while utilizing some of the legislation and the tools that our government has provided. However, now that we are on the subject of Clearwater, it was great to see, within the first year, a return of record profits. It seems that when first nations communities are able to take ove…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Nunavut sits with me on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs and is a very important member of that committee. I agree with her fully that this does not release the government in terms of its fiduciary obligations to first nations communities. What this gives to communities are tools to get outside of the Indian Act. One of the shirts that I of…
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