Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, qujannamiik to my beautiful colleague for her tireless advocacy. There is so much to celebrate during National Indigenous History Month. For the first time in history, there are two first nation female ministers in cabinet, a growing indigenous caucus and opportunities to move beyond community benefit agreements to revenue sharing with indigenous people through major projects. Togethe…
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Mr. Speaker, I represent some of the poorest communities in this country, so when the member opposite tries to lecture me on affordability, I have to ask: Why does he vote against every single measure that is supporting Manitobans, including affordable child care, grocery rebates, automatic tax filing and cutting taxes at the pump? He needs to get onside and start voting and working for Manitobans…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that a food subsidy alone will not solve the food insecurity issue. That is why we have been working to engage 124 of the nutrition north communities to ensure that we work with them to find the solutions for their communities. What we are working toward is moving from a food subsidy to a food economy. That means a whole-of-government approach. I continue looking forward to wo…
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Mr. Speaker, we are working with northerners on solving all the issues in the north, including affordability, and we will continue to do so. I am happy to work with the member opposite on finding some solutions.
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Mr. Speaker, I am so happy to be on this side of the House. Canadians voted for this new government because we have a plan and that plan is working. I do not know why the member opposite has voted against every measure that is supporting Manitobans: affordable child care, cutting taxes at the pump, automatic tax filing, and the groceries and essentials benefit that came out last Friday, which is s…
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Mr. Speaker, did the member vote for the measures that would support this person in his riding? Did he vote to support Red Seal training? Did he vote to support the reduction of taxes at the pump or the creation of a national school food program? These are the measures our government is taking to support Canadians, and Manitobans in his riding, but he continues to vote against them.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians voted in this new government to get results, and that is what we are doing. The member opposite voted against every measure we are taking to support Manitobans. We are investing in housing, infrastructure and aerospace. In fact, I just met with students from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, Local 254. They are so excited about our Red Seal program and are working hard to …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent the new Liberal government here to get things done, and that is what we are doing. The Manitobans I am talking to want to talk about affordable child care; grocery rebates; automatic tax filings, which remove barriers for northern remote communities; cutting taxes at the pump; and creating a national school food program, so children do not go hungry. The member opposite…
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Mr. Speaker, the Port of Churchill plus project is a transformative opportunity to connect Manitoba and western Canadian exports to the world. While early stages mean more work is ahead, the federal government has invested $320 million since 2017, and we are looking to invest another $150 million, as the member knows, to the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway. This is to grow northern tr…
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Mr. Speaker, right now in Ottawa, leaders, survivors, families and frontline workers are gathering for the third national summit on missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. They are coming together under a powerful theme: “from principles to policy, from resolution to action.” Tomorrow, May 5, is Red Dress Day. Across this country, we are going to see red dresses in windo…
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What is the member opposite against? Is it good jobs, supply chains or Manitoba becoming a global gateway? I do not understand what he is against. He needs to get on board.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent this new Liberal government here to get things done, and that is exactly what we are doing. Canadians in Conservative ridings want to see us working together. They do not want excuses. They do not want slogans. They want results. The member opposite has voted against everything that will actually help Manitobans, including affordable child care, grocery rebates, automat…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know who that Manitoba MP is talking to, but when you look at what we are doing here, we have up to 100,000 new Red Seal workers, the Port of Churchill plus project is moving forward, and there are critical mineral jobs in Thompson and stronger trade corridors for Manitoba. What exactly is the member opposite against? Are you against good jobs, stronger supply chains—
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Mr. Speaker, what Manitobans want, especially young people, is a job. They want opportunity, and that is what the government is delivering. The spring budget delivers real momentum for Manitobans. We are seeing infrastructure investments that keep the province moving in the right direction, from transportation upgrades to community facilities. We are expanding Red Seal training. The member opposit…
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Mr. Speaker, we are investing so Manitobans can step into good jobs. What is she not seeing here? We are strengthening Manitoba's aerospace sector. We are advancing the economic wealth fund. We are investing $6 billion in the trades so young people can get jobs. The member opposite continues to downplay this work when these measures are directly supporting Manitobans.
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Mr. Speaker, we are making life more affordable in the north, not just in big cities but across northern indigenous communities. We have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians so that northern families can keep more in their pocket. The permanent national school food program is saving families $800 a year. We are also cutting costs for jet fuel, which is going to impact communities throughout north of…
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Mr. Speaker, we are making life more affordable, not just in big cities but across northern and indigenous communities. We have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians so northern families can keep more on their table. The permanent national school food program is saving families around $800 a year, and we are tackling food costs by building an all-season infrastructure road through the Arctic. We are …
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Mr. Speaker, let me start by welcoming the member for Nunavut to this side of the House. I also want to acknowledge her strong advocacy for the north. We know that a subsidy alone will not solve the food insecurity issue in the north. That is why we are looking at moving from a food subsidy to a food economy in the north. This year alone, we have $200 million supporting the evolution of nutrition …
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Mr. Speaker, recently we have made some announcements, including one that I made in the Yukon on February 19, for an investment of $2.3 million. This is going to support First Kaska construction. It will ensure that this company has new equipment to upgrade manufacturing facilities. We are also investing in NGC Builders, where we will see new fabrication facilities. We are also investing in RAB En…
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Mr. Speaker, when we think about the investments that we are making, we are looking all across Canada. We are not focusing on any one region. We think about the work that we have done already, and we have tripled the Canada Infrastructure Bank for indigenous investments. We look at northern Quebec and northern Labrador, for example, and we have increased investment to $3 billion, because we are tr…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, housing in the north is a priority for the new government. In fact, through Build Canada Homes, as I mentioned earlier, we have signed an agreement, in principle, with Nunavut and Inuit partners to deliver 750 homes, which will be Inuit-led, delivered and built, including units delivered and managed by NTI. When we think about factory-built modular construction, that will a…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support Bill C-20, not only as the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, but also as a first nations woman and the first to have this portfolio. However, this is not about me; it is about the communities of the north that really need to be the problem-solvers of the issues they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, including housing. It is also about the communiti…
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Mr. Speaker, the Crown corporation is listening to northern and indigenous peoples. The Crown corporation the member mentioned is going to ensure we are working with partners in the north and that they are also the problem-solvers of the issues they are dealing with.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Acadie—Bathurst for his leadership in fighting for forestry workers. I fully agree that the forestry sector is essential to our country. Yesterday, the government announced the reopening of four programs to support the forestry sector, as well as funding to strengthen forestry companies in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. These programs will deliver $500 million t…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians living across the country are going to be benefiting from our new Canada groceries and essentials benefit. This includes people in northern and Arctic Canada. This means a family of four will receive $1,890 this year. This is significant in the north. This is in addition to increases in the child tax benefit, the national school food program and $10-a-day day care. We are ta…
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Mr. Speaker, yes, the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba is a huge opportunity for Manitoba and Canada to support our efforts to diversify our economy, but also to support national security. Churchill was previously a military site, so there is already established infrastructure there. We know it as the gateway to the north. Last week, there was an MOU signed between AGG, which is the Arctic G…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, there are already established regulatory requirements, which include environmental assessments. These are things we cannot override. It is really important that we understand the jurisdiction of the north, where 80% of the land mass is covered by modern treaties or settlement agreements. Those rules around regulations and environmental assessments are baked in. We w…
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Mr. Speaker, when we look at the reality in northern Canada, specifically Nunavut, the Nunavut agreement clearly states that it is a tripartite agreement between the federal government, the Government of Nunavut and NTI. We cannot change those processes. The Nunavut agreement clearly outlines the steps that have to be taken, in sequence, to move projects along, whether for resources or land. We ca…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Burlington North—Milton West. Hello. Tansi. Aaniin. Boozhoo. Kwe kwe. Ullukkut. The Conservatives propose a Canada sovereignty act, which calls for a sweeping repeal of federal measures, including the Impact Assessment Act, the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, carbon pricing for industry, the oil and gas emissions cap and other regulations, all …
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Mr. Speaker, for the first time in generations, we are making historic investments in housing and infrastructure across the north, building homes, roads and community facilities. We are investing in clean energy, better Internet and stronger transportation links, all in partnership with indigenous communities. Bill C-4 would deliver tax cuts, GST housing credits and enhanced benefits so families c…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is from Manitoba. If he were listening to Manitobans, he would hear that Manitobans are happy with what our government is doing. We are seeing $10-a-day child care for northern Arctic communities. We are also seeing the national school food program. We are seeing investments in housing and infrastructure like never before. We are seeing the child tax benefits suppo…
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Mr. Speaker, that member opposite is from my home community. If he was talking to Manitobans, he would know that they want $10-a-day day care. They want the school food program. They want investments in housing and infrastructure. If he was talking to Manitobans, he would know that Manitobans support our budget, so he should be supporting our budget as well. These are generational investments like…
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Mr. Speaker, our new government is delivering on its commitments. We are dedicating $2.3 billion to urban, rural and northern homes. We are also partnering to deliver over 700 new homes and fast-tracking them. We are also building on 450 additional homes that will start in the next few years. In the Northwest Territories, we are funding 150 social homes, and in Whitehorse, we are funding 100 new a…
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Mr. Speaker, this week, the Assembly of First Nations met in Ottawa, and many of us here were at the table with it. That shows we are moving along together with first nations. We are backing indigenous-led growth and solutions. That is why more than half of CanNor's economic activity is indigenous-led. We are creating hundreds of jobs right now, like those at First Kaska Construction in Yukon. Our…
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Mr. Speaker, the member is from Manitoba and we need to recognize that Manitobans want to vote for this budget. They want to for the port of Churchill. They want us to build, protect and empower the north. This is the first time we are seeing these types of investments in generations. I encourage the member to get on board and vote for them to ensure we make the national school food program perman…
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2025 makes historic investments with the new $1 billion Arctic infrastructure fund. This is designed to strengthen airports, seaports and all-season roads, which are critical lifelines for search and rescue. By improving northern transportation and communications infrastructure, the budget directly enhances the safety of the north. It is ensuring faster response times and bette…
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Mr. Speaker, we are focused on securing our sovereignty in the north and the Arctic, with a $1-billion infrastructure fund for airports, seaports and all-season roads in the north and in northern Manitoba. We are focused on $2.3 billion for clean water in indigenous communities. The Conservatives are voting against having an Inuit Nunangat university to build skills and hopes for northern youth. W…
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Mr. Speaker, northerners asked for transformative change, and our new government answered with generational plans to build, protect and empower. This means skills, homes and hope for northern youth. Our budget delivers year-round routes to ports across the Arctic corridor and the Churchill gateway to keep Canada strong and free. Through the Major Projects Office, projects will move faster with ind…
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Mr. Speaker, the world views Canada as an Arctic nation and is watching how we lead. As climate and geopolitical risks emerge, our government is taking action. We are building partnerships with nordic countries, like the ICE Pact, for which Polar Max icebreakers will be built right here in Canada and in Finland. We have new Arctic radar stations to boost our defence and enhance early earning syste…
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Mr. Speaker, our new government is strengthening Arctic security by investing in people, infrastructure and partnerships that protect Canada's sovereignty and support resilient communities. We are working with indigenous governments and territorial partners to ensure Canada's presence in the north is secure, visible and enduring. That means investments in dual-use infrastructure like ports, airstr…
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Mr. Speaker, through Build Canada Homes, the new government is working with Nunavut Housing Corporation to deliver hundreds of new homes, including factory-built units to build more homes faster. We are working with indigenous partners. The homes are safe, culturally appropriate and not overcrowded. We are supporting Nunavut's goal of 3,000 homes by 2030. We are also applying this indigenous-led, …
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Mr. Speaker, no project will move forward without honouring section 35. As the Prime Minister has said, meaningful consultation and co-operation are at the heart of our new government approach to nation building. The indigenous advisory council brings first nations, Métis and Inuit, from day one, to strengthen treaty and constitutional duties, not replace them. With capacity funding and the double…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member of Parliament, Ben Carr—
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about our success stories on this side of the stage. Our new government has focused on empowering northern and Arctic communities with indigenous-led solutions that work in the north. For example, an Inuvialuit country food plant is distributing harvested musk ox, reindeer, fish and berries so families can count on country food year-round. Also, the harvesters support p…
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Mr. Speaker, nutrition north is showing real progress, with results that are reaching more northerners every year. In its first year, more than 15,000 harvesters were supported, with hundreds of hunts and over 700 food-sharing initiatives, from Nain, Nunatsiavut, to Old Crow, Yukon, showing the program's reach across the north. In Nunavut, the price of flour in Rankin Inlet has dropped by more tha…
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Mr. Speaker, our new government is supporting indigenous-led transitions from diesel to dependable, clean power. In Yukon, Kluane First Nation's wind and battery project provides about half the community's power and saves over 300,000 litres of diesel a year. In Nunavut, the Inuit-led Sanikiluaq wind project will replace up to 70% of local diesel use. Project by project, we are delivering cleaner,…
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Mr. Speaker, our new government is making life more affordable in the north through practical action that reaches families, strengthens communities and reflects northerners and what they have told us. We are supporting indigenous-led housing solutions and building more homes right across the three territories. In Inuit Nunangat, we are making sure that 14,500 families can afford essential food thr…
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Mr. Speaker, it is public knowledge that nutrition north is undergoing an external review, and we also have an internal review under way. We are committed to building on the positive steps already taken, like the food harvesters program and the community kitchen program, to ensure that northern communities benefit fully from these types of initiatives.
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Mr. Speaker, as a First Nations rights holder as well, I want to acknowledge the concerns raised by indigenous leaders across this country. Their voices matter. That is why we are investing in real consultation, with $40 million to support indigenous engagement, in addition to establishing an indigenous advisory council. This legislation would be an economic game-changer for indigenous people like…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the concerns raised by indigenous leaders across the country. Their voices matter. That is why we are investing in real consultation, with $40 million to support indigenous engagement, in addition to establishing an indigenous advisory council. This legislation would be an economic game-changer for indigenous peoples.
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