Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it was a pleasure and an honour to introduce the water bill, because we know that the $4.6 billion of resources attached to that bill are going to help communities do the work that they need to do in community, supporting their members with clean drinking water. It was a pleasure to meet with Chief Ackabee and Chief Fisher to speak about their file. If this member wants to do meaningf…
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy that my colleague has asked that question. It is one of great importance, because we know that first nations have to do the work of expanding the minimum standards that are now applicable in their communities and setting the regulatory gaps for in communities and out of communities, working, negotiating and collaborating in partnership with provincial and territorial govern…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑37, An Act respecting water, source water, drinking water, wastewater and related infrastructure on First Nation lands. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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Mr. Speaker, the authority, clear standards, historic funding and sustained support are at the core of the bill. I am proud to have ensured that this government, the only government, has pushed forth the bill to support real jurisdiction over water systems, to create standards, and to govern these systems according to their rights, priorities and lived reality.
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Mr. Speaker, that was an important question. Bill C-37 would ensure that first nations have the authority and means to deliver safe, reliable drinking water in their communities. By affirming jurisdiction over water sources and by also ensuring drinking water and waste water for first nations, we would be enabling the development of clear, consistent, first nations-led standards. The authority—
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Mr. Speaker, I am really proud to be here and do the work, and I invite my colleague to work with us in advancing the things we are determining: $5.9 billion to support on-reserve housing, ensuring that over 55% of first nations have housing plans, ensuring that communities have housing managers and ensuring that they are accessing the training and certification to build those homes, because we ar…
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Mr. Speaker, the process of enfranchisement unjustly stripped thousands of first nations individuals of their status. While the practice was ended 35 years ago, the harmful legacy still remains. That member knows that this bill is before study at the committee. That member knows that there are witnesses, and we want to respect those first nations witnesses' rights to come to defend and speak for t…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for that important question. As an Eeyou iskwew from the community of Waswanipi, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary today, I know we are taking moments this month to honour who we are as part of National Indigenous History Month. We are here to celebrate our strength, resilience and culture. I am proud to work with my colleagues who are first n…
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear a question on such an important issue, which is a first. We know that housing is a top priority in indigenous communities. That is why I am proud to be working with my colleagues to launch the program to build Canada strong and build homes in indigenous communities. We will build these homes together with them, to meet their needs. I am proud to be doing this work wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member is well aware that Bill S-2 is in front of the committee for study. I welcome her input. We are there to ensure that enfranchisement, the intention of the bill, is responded to. We continue to work closely with groups across the country, hearing their input. I am open to supporting these communities, because enfranchisement quantifies who indigenous people are under…
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Mr. Speaker, for decades, there was underfunding and discrimination in this file. I am proud to work with the only government that has decided to take a stand and add funding to this file to meet the needs of indigenous nations in Quebec and across Canada. I am proud to be doing this work. I am very pleased to note that, under urban and rural programs, in big cities and in the north, we are doing …
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question. I want to sincerely congratulate the Chiefs of Ontario, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Ontario first nations that have worked tirelessly to be the ones making the decisions for their own children. On May 29, we honoured the start of this work, based not only in culture but also in ceremony, to undertake this work. Through this historic investment, $8.…
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Mr. Speaker, we have just signed a historic, first-of-its-kind, multilateral emergency management agreement among the Abegweit First Nation, the Government of P.E.I. and our new government. I want to thank Chief Gould and his council for hosting this important event. The agreement recognizes Abegweit First Nation as a full and equal partner in emergency management. It strengthens planning, prepare…
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Mr. Speaker, we have launched a new path forward to long-term reform of child and family services, one that acknowledges regional realities and puts first nations children and families first. This approach is supported by an ongoing commitment of over $35 billion for a seven-year period and $4.4 billion ongoing afterwards. I want to ensure that children are connected to their families, cultures an…
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Mr. Speaker, kwe, kwe. Ulaakut. Tansi. Waajiye. Bonjour. Hello. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. The Indian Act of 1876 is a remnant of our colonial history and an attempt to completely assimilate first nations peoples. It sought to absorb our languages, cultures, governance structures and, …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his support. There is much work left to be done in terms of the bill itself. I am looking forward to the debate and the process that will be undertaken. This is imperative work. I believe that the voice of leadership across this country, the locally elected chiefs and councils, must participate and bring forward the solutions they are looking for. As I…
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moved that Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to share my time with the member for Nunavut.
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Mr. Speaker, Bill S-2 in its original form was intended to look at enfranchisement, one of the challenges with the Indian Act. I can answer that there are many cases of discrimination under the Indian Act. I am looking for a solution that is going to ensure we are able to reach consensus on what the solution truly is. In this case, the amendments put forward are looking to implement a one-parent s…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the intention of Bill S-2 was to address the enfranchisement and the return of 3,500 people. This is how the bill was framed. I want to commend the Senate for the work they do and the important history of speaking to this file and the discrimination that the Indian Act has in place. At the same time, I also want to ensure that it is clear with my colleagues that we have la…
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Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say that this is one of the biggest challenges I face as Minister of Indigenous Services. I have to work with a law that is highly discriminatory against Canada's indigenous peoples. That is why my approach to finding solutions will be based on the guidance I receive from the community. We must prioritize including indigenous peoples to ensure that solutions are adopted…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to also acknowledge and echo the challenges of being a first nation person doing this critical work. We know this bill has been put forward as something to address enfranchisement as part of the Indian Act. If we are truly going to support the process of community having jurisdiction and authority over defining membership and status, will my colleague support and create the spa…
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Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I am quite surprised that my colleague is willing to support the bill only if members remain in urban areas, and that this is equal treatment of first nations people. Therefore I am not sure I can truly support the position and reasoning he is bringing forward. If communities accept this process, are they not continuing to support the further discrimination of the In…
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Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to be able to respond to my colleague and affirm the announcement of $115 million towards renewed funding for the Inuit child first initiative that will reach those children and families in his riding, and like mine. I want to thank my constituents who expressed their support for this progress. I am looking forward to continuing to deliver in this space. Of course,…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my esteemed colleague for this important question. To eradicate tuberculosis, investments have been made in innovative, Inuit-led approaches to improve health outcomes in those communities that are most at risk. Our government has just announced an additional $27 million in significant investments for tuberculosis solutions in Inuit Nunangat. We will advance this…
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Madam Speaker, I also grew up in the riding. It is a treaty territory. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement is recognized as the first modern treaty. I think that this process reinforces partnership because I come from a nation that has been submitting reports directly to Parliament, not just to an officer of Parliament, for 50 years. We ourselves chose two commissioners who spoke to Parlia…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for being really consistent in representing her members. The message has been clear to me that we need to respond. That is why we have been working with our partners and look forward to what the next step is going to be. I am sure the member will be pleased to see what that is going to be. I am looking forward to what the message will be when it comes out …
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here today. [Member spoke in Cree and provided the following translation:] Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that Canada's Parliament is located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I rise today to speak to Bill C-10, which creates a new independent officer of Parliament, specifically the commissioner for mod…
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Madam Speaker, I want to acknowledge that the minister would still have the obligation to respond to the partnership. This would not be done away with. The supplementation of a commissioner's being put into place is with regard to the reporting. It is the oversight. It is to ensure that the verification and the validity of the position of the partner would also be tabled to Parliament. In essence,…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been continuously working with groups from friendship centres, meeting with them to address this very file. I invite my colleague to reach out to my office so we can continue looking at what the future will be for friendship centres. I know and understand this issue personally. There are two friendship centres in my riding. I am somebody who went to a friendship centre as part…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has proposed new measures to make life more affordable. Families in my riding will see the impacts first-hand. I am thinking of the dad who will be able to pay for his son's lunch when he participates in a tournament, or the skates that a family will need to buy. These are things that affect the lives and the daily reality of Quebeckers. In my own family, I am thinking …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. We are here to help families, not only with their grocery bills, but also with living expenses, such as child care costs and unplanned expenses. We are asking our colleagues to heed the letter from their leader, who has indicated that he is open to working with us to help 12 million Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to wish everyone a happy new year. We are working together on new measures to help families put food on the table. For example, in my riding, not only will a single mother get more purchasing power, but she will also benefit from new measures to help her buy shoes and clothes and pay for after-school care. These are realities not only in my riding, but in opposition members' ri…
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moved that Bill S-2, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements), be read the first time. (Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)
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Mr. Speaker, I want to speak to what the Conservative Party claims this motion speaks to. While on one hand they speak to half the sentence of respecting consultations for indigenous people, they are also speaking out of the other side of their mouth to the jurisprudence that would allow these projects to move forward. I want to understand what they are doing. Are they consulting or pushing projec…
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Mr. Speaker, first nations children need to be guided by self-determination, and that is the pull we are using to proceed with this work. I have on multiple occasions met with many people looking to serve, and bring forward solutions for, indigenous children in community. What I invite my colleague to do with me is find a path forward and respond to the urgency that is needed in this file for solu…
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Mr. Speaker, we should be talking about indigenous families and families living in Quebec's regions. All the families back home in my riding felt that the budget has truly increased and maintained programs for the most vulnerable members of our communities. It is a budget that will protect them, but the opposition voted against it. We want to know this: Is the process of spending on credit not rea…
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleague opposite to speak to all of his constituents. In this budget, we have decided to protect the position of first nations. It is important to note that we have also included investments in infrastructure, such as clean drinking water and housing. I encourage the opposition to work with us to protect these decisions, to protect indigenous nations. I know my collea…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not only have a vision for what this country is now, but what it is going to be. That is why he has assigned multiple ministries to work on transforming health care in those critical spaces in the north, spaces that always lacked investment on this side of the House, spaces that never see the light of day with having support on this side of the House. We are in…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight today that the opposition can offer Nicole and single-parent households the support of a future that is based on today's budget that will be presented. My colleagues today have the chance to protect the very futures they speak about, including those of the young indigenous children, the fastest-growing population, who need us and depend on the programs we have put …
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Mr. Speaker, our home is where we should feel the safest. Many indigenous people live in housing that is overcrowded, contaminated and unaffordable. The new “build Canada homes” program is going to finance indigenous housing providers to grow affordable housing in communities while catalyzing capital for a revolutionary approach to homebuilding in communities at a pace we never saw in the darkest …
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Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 10th year of the TRC's calls to action. The government has made historic decisions to respond. In the current government, there has been the appointment of the first indigenous Minister of Indigenous Services so indigenous people can be served by their very own. We also have indigenous voices at the cabinet table, creating space for representation and decision-maki…
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Mr. Speaker, National Indigenous Peoples Day is a time for us to celebrate first nations people, and Métis, Inuit and indigenous communities, each with their own culture, identity and languages. In addition, I am honoured to be the first indigenous minister leading Indigenous Services to serve indigenous people in this community, somebody who understands their reality and can speak with them direc…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be sitting on this side of the House to ensure that the reconciliation process will now be a “reconcili-action” process. We are working in partnership with the indigenous peoples here in Canada. They will be engaged in a process that will be clear, serious and self-determined. This party is very open to ensuring that everyone has a place at the table, as only our governm…
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government will determine whether a major project is in the national interest based on consultation with the provinces, territories and indigenous people. Projects selected will also be subject to comprehensive consultation with indigenous people. For all projects, the Crown, including the provinces and territories, must consult indigenous people. That is what the governme…
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Wachiya, Mr. Speaker. [Member spoke in Cree] [English] It is my pleasure to congratulate you on winning this seat and representing us as the Speaker in the House. It is a privilege to speak for the first time in the House as the member for Abitibi—Baie‑James—Nunavik—Eeyou. I would like to sincerely thank the residents of my riding for allowing me to represent them in the House. It is also an honou…
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Mr. Speaker, I think we are in a time of crisis. We can see that several communities have told people that they are welcome in their community. I am very proud that several first nations invited people to come and opened the doors of their communities to welcome them. I come from a nation where I have had the same experience. A number of municipalities around my nation also opened their doors to w…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for this important question. We are not only supporting our members as they are outside of the community in evacuation centres. We are offering wraparound services, including mental health and health care, and working with first nations bands and communities to support them in their administrative processes as they are not able to offer that service in the…
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