Emergency Debate
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for using words like “tangible” and for talking about things we need to see happening to help address some of the issues. As I mentioned in my speech, I had done an intervention with the UCCM Anishnaabe Police in northern Ontario because the federal government was not meeting its obligations to ensure that this first nations policing agency was getting…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for her important intervention. This debate is addressing what I feel is like the tip of an iceberg, and I think she agrees. There are so many examples of other issues with RCMP behaviour. In my riding of Nunavut, I have whole communities that will not call the RCMP because they know that the RCMP will not protect that community from the violence that …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to requests submitted through Jordan’s Principle and the Inuit Child First Initiative, broken down by fiscal year since the program's inception: (a) what is the total number of requests received from (i) parents or guardians of Indigenous children, (ii) Indigenous children at the age of consent in their province or territory, (iii) an individual authorized to represent an Indigenous ch…
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With regard to the Greenland Halibut in Nunavut, since 2017: (a) what are the details of all assessments of Greenland Halibut stocks, including the (i) date, (ii) location, (iii) conclusions; (b) what are the details of all Greenland Halibut fisheries management decisions, including the (i) date, (ii) scientific assessment used to justify the decision, (iii) decision on total allowable catch and s…
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With regard to Indigenous Services Canada's (ISC) capital allocation policies on school expansions and renovations: (a) on what basis does the department determine the level of funding to be determined for school expansions and renovations; (b) does the department consider students from neighbouring communities as part of its decision-making processes in allocating funding; (c) which regional ISC …
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With regard to federal housing investments in the territories, since February 1, 2006, broken down by city and year: how much federal funding was provided to support the construction of (i) non-profit or community housing, (ii) cooperative housing, (iii) purpose-built rental housing, and how many units were developed?
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Uqaqtittiji, it means that first nations, Métis and Inuit will continue to be beaten up more and will be followed more, and it means that indigenous peoples will not trust law enforcement to protect them. That is why the motion is so important, so that we can move towards better protections and to make sure that the impunity stops.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Uqaqtittiji, for Indigenous peoples to celebrate National Indigenous History Month and the upcoming National Indigenous Peoples Day, a lot of hurdles must be dismantled. Gaps persist from the decades of underinvestment in ensuring indigenous peoples can thrive. While Conservatives made cuts, Liberals tout increases, but these do not come close to closing the gaps. Just these last weeks, we heard r…
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Uqaqtittiji, I do have a hard time trusting what Conservatives say, especially regarding indigenous peoples' issues. I was an adult when the Conservatives were in power, and although their prime minister made an apology to former residential school students, the very same government cut programs that would have ensured proper healing of intergenerational trauma from residential schools. I wonder w…
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Uqaqtittiji, I have the same concern as the Liberal MP when it comes to the Conservatives caring for people. When Nunavut had a Conservative MP, that MP was part of the party that made cuts to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which was leading the way to ensure that indigenous people could get the healing they deserve. How can anyone trust the Conservatives that they will lead in such a way that…
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Uqaqtittiji, I know the member talked about the importance of the military in other places, and I appreciate that. He might appreciate my question about how much more investment needs to be made for Canadians so that they can participate in Arctic sovereignty and Arctic security. Does the member agree that, for example, investing in Canadian Rangers would be much better for keeping Canada secure?
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Uqaqtittiji, unfortunately, what we do not see in Bill C-69 is an investment in the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link project, which would help Nunavut communities not rely on diesel. Does the member agree that there needs to be more taxation on oil and gas companies so that tax collected from them can help fund projects such as the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link project?
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Uqaqtittiji, I know the member thinks there are not enough investments for farmers. Whatever he thinks there is for farmers, there is far less for hunters in the north. We know that the rates of poverty are much higher in the Arctic. I wonder if the member agrees that, whatever investments are made for farmers, there must be comparable investments for hunters so they can provide for their families…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, the more the Inuit regain their pride, the more identity fraud we see. The problem is being made worse from inside the Prime Minister's caucus. The parliamentary secretary of northern affairs recently said her government would recognize the constitutional rights of NunatuKavut, despite the court ruling differently. Johannes Lampe, president of Nunatsiavut, has called for the demotion …
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Uqaqtittiji, I am glad the member talked about oil and gas companies. I want to ask him a question similar to one that I have asked in the House before regarding how investments could be made, especially during this time of climate change. The Liberals have been offered a solution: Nunavut communities could help combat climate change by transitioning to not relying on diesel anymore. However, the …
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Uqaqtittiji, first of all I would like to commend the great work of the commissioner of Canada elections, who has reached out to my office a few times regarding preparing for the next federal election, based on the work that I had started by introducing my bill, Bill C-297, to amend the Elections Act with respect to indigenous languages. I just want to use this time to follow up and ask the minist…
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Uqaqtittiji, my colleague made an excellent speech. I have a similar question to the Bloc member's, but from indigenous peoples' perspective. As my colleague indicated, indigenous peoples are overrepresented in the justice system, and we know that language was used to try to eliminate indigenous peoples in Canada. With language revitalization and indigenous people still preferring to speak their l…
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Uqaqtittiji, I appreciated the member's question earlier when a Liberal MP failed to talk about indigenous housing, but I do want to talk about taxation. For example, rich oil and gas CEOs are getting richer. Many of the oil and gas companies are exempt from carbon tax. Suncor only pays one-fourteenth of the carbon tax, compared to Canadians. I wonder if the member agrees that oil and gas companie…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, for decades, Liberal and Conservative governments have ignored indigenous people's needs. As a result, the infrastructure gap is at billions of dollars. The Liberals committed to closing the gap by 2030, but they have committed less than 1%. This is just pennies. Indigenous peoples deserve the same housing, roads and clean water as others. When will the Liberals follow through on thei…
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Uqaqtittiji, if the Liberals are so confident in their climate policy, why will they not be transparent and share their economic analysis with Canadians?
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Uqaqtittiji, the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link project of the Nukik Corporation made some great submissions in the federal budget, in both 2023 and 2024. One of its recommendations was to increase the investment tax credit from 15% to 30% for indigenous- or Inuit-owned transmission intertie projects in development. I wonder if the member can explain why the Liberals are only giving lip service and not…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank my colleague with the NDP for his excellent speech. He highlighted that it has been thanks to the NDP that we have been able to get so much more for Canadians. Our small and mighty party has indeed gotten a lot more, including extending Jordan's principle and the Inuit child first initiative. I wonder if the hon. member can share with us what an NDP government wo…
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Uqaqtittiji, I want to thank the member for speaking so much to indigenous issues and expenditures for Indigenous Services. Unfortunately, as the member knows, because there has been underinvestment for decades, including in this budget, with upwards of a $425-billion infrastructure gap, these expenses that we are going to see are only going to address 1% of the infrastructure needs for indigenous…
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Uqaqtittiji, I am quite disappointed that, in a 20-minute speech on housing, the member never mentioned anything with respect to the needs of first nations, Métis or Inuit. The Auditor General reported at one point that the need for housing just for first nations is at $135 billion, yet the government only budgeted $4 billion over seven years. This will keep indigenous peoples completely marginali…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, for 30 years, Johannes Rivoire sexually abused children in Nunavut when he was supposed to be their priest. Instead of being tried for his crimes, Rivoire escaped to France. The churches failed the victims. The RCMP failed the victims. Now the federal governments keep failing the victims. He died before justice was ever served. People are still hurting. When will the government act to…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, I struggle to appreciate the past investments of this government. According to the Assembly of First Nations, the infrastructure gap stands at almost $350 billion. With Inuit and Métis, this number reaches over $425 billion. Of that, $135 billion is just for housing. We urgently need to build more than 150,000 new homes, as well as repairing 55,000 existing homes. These are astronomic…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, indigenous housing remains a critical issue. Too many Inuit, first nations and Métis live in mouldy, overcrowded homes without access to running water. Far too many Inuit, first nations and Métis are compelled to leave their homes. Too many end up homeless on the streets in urban centres. These realities are a direct result of decades of underinvestment, a pattern continued under the …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Uqaqtittiji, I rise wishing I could speak to happy occasions, knowing that June is National Indigenous History Month. Sadly, I stand to give rise to the despair that still exists. There are too many of us who are being lost to alcohol abuse. There are too many that I represent in Nunavut, and those indigenous peoples outside of Nunavut, who are affected by alcoholism. There are too many of us losi…
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Uqaqtittiji, whistle-blowers were raising serious concerns for years about conflict of interest and gross mismanagement of public funds, but their complaints were ignored; they were never taken seriously. Can the member explain why it took the minister so long to act on the issues?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the last petition that I will read out is petition number 12734938, regarding firefighters and how important it is that we support the great work they do and that we make sure they have the supports they need. The petitioners say that the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310 and enact amendments to subsections 118.06(2…
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Uqaqtittiji, I have some petitions with me as well. I have petition number 12950150, on the subject of foreign affairs. This is a similar petition to what was already tabled, but I wanted to show my support for how important it is to share that Israel's war with Hamas killed almost 20,000 people in Gaza in the two months between October 7 and December 18, 2023, with about 70% of them being women a…
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Uqaqtittiji, the NDP supports this motion because Canadians expect that their tax dollars will be managed responsibly and will not be used to appoint political appointees and other corporate friends. We absolutely support getting answers about the financial mismanagement, conflict of interests and toxic workplace at Sustainable Development Technology Canada. I wonder if the member would agree that…
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Madam Speaker, another petition I have is on the environment, petition number 12257265. Children born in 2020 will face an average of two to seven times more extreme weather events than their grandparents. According to a 2021 report in the Lancet, 83% of children worldwide reported that they think people have failed to take care of the planet. Those most affected by climate change are the youngest…
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Uqaqtittiji, Canadians absolutely expect their tax dollars to be managed responsibly, and the public needs assurance that government will go even further than what the Liberal government has done to restore public confidence. At this point, I have not yet heard any Liberal intervention that restores my confidence. Can the member share with us what the Liberal Party will do to get that done and whe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, in 2011, the Conservatives changed the food mail program that went from helping people in the north to subsidizing rich corporations in the south. Everyone knows it is not working, but the Liberals refuse to reform it. The North West Company and the CEO make millions in profits and bonuses, but people in the north cannot afford to eat. When will the Liberals finally reform the Conserv…
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Uqaqtittiji, according to Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association, Nunavut children suffer the highest rates of poverty, upwards of 35%, compared to Canada's rates. At the same time, the Liberal government is subsidizing corporate greed by giving $64 million of taxpayers' money to The North West Company, which gives its CEO a salary of $3.91 million. Does the member agree with us that there is …
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Uqaqtittiji, one thing we have learned is that the nutrition north program was created by the Conservative government and is now protected by the Liberal government. Could the member share with us what the impacts of the Liberal government protecting the Conservative-created program are on the poverty levels of indigenous peoples in Canada?
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Uqaqtittiji, knowing that receiving abusive behaviours from law enforcement can be quite traumatizing, sometimes it could take courage and a very long time to be able to submit a complaint. I wonder if the member can share with us the NDP's amendment that was passed, which amended the time to be able submit a complaint from one year to two years and how important that is for those complainants who…
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Uqaqtittiji, I realize that the member did not talk about it in his intervention, but I will ask him about the nutrition north program. Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women's Association, which I mentioned earlier, reported that the child poverty rate for Nunavut is 35.8%. That is a startling poverty rate in Canada. Another statistic is that the North West Company CEO's salary was $3.91 million. The nutri…
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Uqaqtittiji, I wonder if my colleague could respond to the impacts of the Liberals' constant delays in making reforms to nutrition north. I have been asking since 2021 for changes, having heard from my constituents all along. To date, the most recent responses have been to do yet another internal review, with a possible later external review. What is the impact on our constituents when the Liberal…
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Uqaqtittiji, I very much enjoyed working with the member when she was at the indigenous and northern affairs committee. Great solutions have been provided from reports like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls for action, and the MMIWG's calls for justice. In the other report I mentioned, recommendations were made by Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association. Coming from the NDP, my co…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, Nunavummiut already pay some of the highest airfares in the world. The lowest airfare in 2023 from Ottawa to Grise Fiord was over $11,000. Even worse is that baggage fees recently went up, ripping off northerners even more. This is all happening under the Liberals' watch, when they promised that airline costs would not go up in the north. Flights are a lifeline in Nunavut. Why is the …
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Uqaqtittiji, I know that the member did not talk about nutrition north in his intervention very much, but that has been the focus of my debate. There are constituents of members of the Bloc Party who can have access to the nutrition north program, and I am specifically talking about the Inuit communities in Nunavik. I wonder what he has to say about the nutrition north program's not having a posit…
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Uqaqtittiji, before I start my speech, I would like to send my best and happiest birthday wishes to my son, Robin. I love him so much, and I am excited to see him again sometime soon. With respect to the nutrition north program, I thank the NDP for this opposition day motion to bring to light why we have been making efforts to have it overhauled. The inaction by the Liberals has compelled the NDP …
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Uqaqtittiji, the NDP has been calling out the Conservatives on their disinformation to Canadians. As I said, when it comes to the fly-in communities that this program is supposed to support, all flights going to Nunavut are exempt from carbon tax, so we cannot attribute the increased cost of food to the carbon tax.
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Uqaqtittiji, I understand that with Bill C-20, amendments were required to ensure that there were provisions related to the reconciliation process with indigenous peoples. I wonder if the member could respond to why it took amendments and why that process was not there when Bill C-20 was originally introduced. Why did it take NDP amendments to make sure they were included?
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Uqaqtittiji, in Nunavut, aviation fuel is exempt from the carbon tax, so carbon tax cannot be used as an excuse for the high prices of groceries. Does the member agree that, in fact, it is corporate greed causing higher prices in Nunavut? An example I have mentioned is the CEO of the North West Company, who earned $3.91 million, while my constituents in one year earned $3.91 million. Meanwhile, my…
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Uqaqtittiji, I can only speak to how things work in Nunavut. As I said, all the communities I represent are fly-in communities. It has taken me almost three years to get to all of them. When I see the efforts of the nutrition north program being used properly by businesses like local co-ops, those kinds of programs can work if they are used the way they are intended to be used. The Liberal governm…
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Uqaqtittiji, we hear the member say he does not agree with how long it has taken the Liberals to get Bill C-20 to the table, yet we heard about how much the Conservatives filibustered, including having submitted 33 amendments at committee and withdrawing 75% of the amendments they themselves had submitted. What was the Conservatives' tactic behind filibustering on this important bill? Why are they…
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Uqaqtittiji, civilian oversight is particularly important in the bill, and the member spoke eloquently about why. Children were taken away from first nations. Métis and Inuit children were taken away from their loving families, from their loving environments. They were thriving, and the RCMP was used to take these children to go to residential schools, to environments of hate, environments of viol…
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