Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, dance, dansez, dance is the spirit of the upcoming 13th annual Yukon African Music Festival. Who would have believed, in the cold, dark days of early February, that Yukon's wonderful African community would bring light, music, dance and pure joy to chase away the winter blues? As we observe International Development Week and Black History Month, the Yukon African Music Festival, organ…
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member was in her home riding of Pickering—Brooklin over the weekend. I wonder if she can describe a bit what this means for her own constituents in Pickering—Brooklin.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Pickering—Brooklin. I am thankful for this opportunity. Affordability in Canada is a challenge that Canadians face on a daily basis. In the north, daily costs like food, fuel, housing and transportation are all higher, so any effort to improve the lives of Canadians is particularly important for northern residents. That is why I am pleased…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her frequent visits to the north and for her advocacy for the north. However, that is where we will have to part ways. What the member points out is a perceived link between industrial carbon pricing and food prices, which actually does not exist. We are looking forward to building a modern economy, and part of that is sticking with progressive …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Waterloo for her advocacy. This weekend, I was speaking with many of my constituents, and I think this is a moment when Canadians everywhere, in the north and across the country, are expecting us to work together. In that vein, I am hoping we can all work together in the House to have the bill pass as soon as possible.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for drawing that parallel with band-aids and health measures. This measure is a very important solution for the coming years, because it will work like a bridge. With all the other measures we are putting in place to strengthen Canadian sovereignty and the economy, we anticipate that things will be easier for everyone in a few years. The important part for…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this fall season brings fresh momentum, new opportunities and renewed energy to the Yukon. Just last week at Yukon's annual Geoscience meeting, the mood in the room could not have been more positive. Members may ask why. It is because budget 2025 is replete with investments in the north, like the $1-billion Arctic infrastructure fund, the $2-billion critical mineral sovereign fund and…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member again for her concerns about Inuit programs and hunters and trappers organizations, and for meeting directly with these organizations. These bodies are treaty obligations under the Nunavut land claims agreement and are essential for wildlife management and environmental reviews. Inadequate funding issues did change in March 2025 when Canada signed a renewed 10-year …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Nunavut for raising serious concerns about funding for Inuit programs and the capacity of hunters and trappers organizations to participate in environmental assessments. She provides continued and very important advocacy for Nunavut. These are valid concerns, and they deserve a clear response. Article 5.7 of the Nunavut agreement sets out the special fea…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for asking about Canada's role in affirming Arctic sovereignty and appropriately citing the role of Arctic indigenous residents in protecting it. I am grateful for her sharing the article, which was also sent to me by a constituent of mine. I thank Karen. I think this is a reflection of how invested northerners are in Arctic sovereignty and …
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the chance to return some of the compliments. It would obviously take much more than a minute to return much of the esteem I have for the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands and her leadership on climate action for many years, as well as on so many other parliamentary issues. Arctic security and sovereignty are matters for all parties, all levels of government and the pe…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this member's advocacy for the people of Nunavut and, indeed, for the people across the north. I reaffirm this government's commitment to address food insecurity in northern communities on a priority basis. Programs like nutrition north Canada, the harvesters support grant and the community food programs fund, as well as the Inuit child first initiative, provide essential…
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Mr. Speaker, we do indeed recognize the hardships faced by Inuit and by all residents in Nunavut and indeed across the north, where the cost of food and the cost of basic necessities continue to pose real challenges, particularly for families. In Nunavut alone, 42% of children live in poverty. That is the highest rate in Canada. I know that behind these statistics are real lives and real struggles…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with immense northern pride that I congratulate L'Aurore boréale for being named newspaper of the year at the 2025 francophone press awards of excellence in September. This tremendous honour clearly shows the heart and soul that the newspaper puts into every issue. L'Aurore boréale was also recognized for its magnificent bilingual digital project entitled "The Yukon Celebrates i…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her excellent speech and her commitment to seeing the legislation supported and passed. I am a little distressed by what I heard from some of my Conservative friends, who have called the bill a distraction. Perhaps they do not realize that this has been called for over many years, really going back to the beginning of modern treaty nations, and that th…
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to acknowledge first of all, with respect, that we are gathered on the ancestral lands of the Algonquin Anishinabe people, and that these territories, unceded and unsurrendered, have been a place of meeting and exchange for centuries. I am pleased to speak today to the proposed legislation to establish a commissioner for modern treaty implementation and what the next steps in t…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question. Modern treaty partners across the country are looking forward to the passage of the bill. It is important, as it is a way to ensure that there would be accountability. They have been let down many times by many governments on the implementation of modern treaties. We all stand to be accountable for implementation of modern treaties, including the signing…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. Perhaps my colleague has overlooked the fact that the relationship with indigenous partners is part and parcel of Bill C‑5. This partnership is essential for projects in the national interest, and this government has committed to it. I hope that is something that all parties in the House will support.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations for his tireless work on this file, including during the last Parliament, and for his advocacy. The piece of legislation before us is an incredibly important one for Yukon first nations. I have heard repeatedly, in my four-plus years of holding the privileged position as a member of Parliame…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, when former senator Ione Christensen departed this world on September 15, the Yukon lost one of its best-loved leaders. A fourth-generation Yukoner, Ione's accomplishments are legion: first woman mayor of Whitehorse, first female commissioner of the Yukon and the first Yukon woman appointed to the Senate. Beyond her political life, Ione loved the Yukon outdoors, rafting and hiking the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this is certainly an issue that we will take note of. I look forward to bringing a forthright answer back to my Nunavut colleague.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Yukon University has officially become the 97th member of Universities Canada. Over the past 60 years, this progressive institution has grown from a vocational training centre to a college, and finally in 2020, it is Canada's first university north of the 60th parallel. Universities Canada is the voice of universities in this country. Yukon U's membership enriches this voice with valu…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, this week, we celebrate the Yukon days on the Hill, an incredible event that brings a vibrant spirit of the north right here to Ottawa. We gathered parliamentarians, first nations chiefs, the grand chief, the AFN regional chief, leaders from the Yukon government, and other distinguished guests from the territory. Yukon days are a unique opportunity to dive into meaningful conversati…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, courage, solidarity, giving and hope are the values that members of the Ukrainian Canadian Association of Yukon, UCAY, are showing as they embark on a heroic journey to deliver medical supplies to the front line of Ukraine's fight against Putin's ruthless and illegal invasion. Four dedicated individuals, Grant Zazula, Lesia Hnatiw, Anastasia Matlashevska and Eileen Melnychuck, will ca…
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Mr. Speaker, as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, Yukoners in my riding and Canadians everywhere will be reflecting on the painful history of first nation, Inuit and Métis children being removed from their families and communities, some of them never to return home. For generations, indigenous peoples were stripped of their cultures and languages. Canada must continue to ad…
Read full speech →Private Members’ Business
Madam Speaker, I am also here to speak to Bill S-205, an act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another act regarding interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders. Bill S-205 proposes amendments to the bail and peace bond provisions of the Criminal Code and the Youth Criminal Justice Act to address intimate partner violence, a cause that all of us in th…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this month, Yukon lost one of its most accomplished and best-loved citizens, Rolf Hougen. If we were to walk around downtown Whitehorse, we would see Rolf's impact everywhere in the variety of businesses he built over the 80 years that he lived in Yukon. He also founded the territory's first cable TV company, as well as its first commercial radio station, CKRW. Among many other philan…
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Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this opportunity to rise and speak to Bill C-71. This bill proposes to amend Canada's Citizenship Act and restore citizenship to those individuals who lost it due to previous unconstitutional legislative amendments. I was compelled to participate in this debate after hearing from some of my constituents on this matter. However, I was struck by recent comments made by…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my NDP colleague for his comments. I agree with him, and I, too, hope that this legislation will come into force as soon as possible.
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Mr. Speaker, yes, I heard the same speech. That is simply not true. It is about helping those who lost their citizenship because of a decision made by the previous Conservative government. The bill simply seeks to correct an injustice that has been created. It does not open the door to other tourists. The government is really targeting certain people who have been forgotten and lost their citizens…
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the question. I think it is really very precise in that, if we are to achieve correcting this injustice, then we can stand on firm ground to accept the Ontario court's decision and proceed accordingly.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, the judgment of a court can be considered at any level. In this case, a solid, thorough decision made by the Ontario court was accepted and agreed to by the government. That gives reasonable grounds to proceed with what is really correcting an injustice that dates back to the previous Conservative government.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I know this is an area to which the Prime Minister and our government are fully committed. Clearly, it is a process that takes a long time to accomplish. Perhaps, when we see the need, it is too long in the implementation. I know it is something that our minister and our parliamentary secretary, who spoke earlier, are very committed to. Supporting community-based programs that play an…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I think the parliamentary secretary has laid out the need for an ongoing commitment that involves exactly that. It is more than just a collaboration; it is truly a partnership, and that takes time. I think that we recognize the urgency, but we also recognize the need to do things right. As long as the conversation keeps going, as long as the commitment is there and we can retain the t…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley today. First, I would like to also thank my northern colleague, the member for Nunavut, for raising this tragic and pressing issue, where indigenous people in Canada continue to experience disproportionate levels of violence and loss. Since late August, six indigenous people have tragically lost their lives in encount…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the collegiality shown by my colleague from Kitchener Centre. I would just, without repeating my previous answer, stress that it is important for us all to reflect on the need for progress in this area, including sharing best practices and innovations that come from first nation, Inuit and Métis communities and nations themselves.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, nature is core to Canada's national identity. From our oceans to the St. Elias Mountains and the St. Lawrence River, Canadians take pride in the beauty of our nature, which is also the foundation of our shared well-being and economy. I am proud that Canada is remaining a competitive world leader as the global community transitions to a nature-positive, net-zero economy. Our governme…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, every day since October 7, I have heard from Yukoners, by letter, by phone, on the street and in person, horrified and deeply concerned about the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza. My constituents are calling for a ceasefire, for humanitarian aid to flow, for humanitarian law to be respected, for the targeting of hospitals and medical facilities to stop, for the bombing of civilians to s…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-401, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (northern residents deduction). Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to introduce an act to amend the Income Tax Act with a northern residents deduction. This would increase the daily deduction that can be claimed for residing in a certain northern zone, tie that amount to the consumer price index and remove the distinction b…
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Mr. Speaker, across the country, communities need new infrastructure to grow, build more homes and enable economic growth. This is especially true in the north. Investing in our communities also means investing in our airports. Northerners want reliable, safe and affordable service when it comes to air connectivity. Could the Minister of Transport please tell us what the government is doing to ens…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the 12th annual Arctic Inspiration Prize took place in Whitehorse earlier this month, continuing the celebration of people working on groundbreaking projects from across northern Canada. I congratulate Yukon's Young People's Theatre festival and the Youth Coalition 4 Food Security in the North, which each took home $100,000 to continue their projects. Thay K’i Anint’i received $499,00…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Illegitimus non carborundum was the defiant motto of the Whitehorse Star, a paper that, this week, published its last edition after serving the Yukon for 124 years. First published from a tent, the Whitehorse Star is a living record of the Yukon's colourful history. Fire and flood, disasters, royal visits and funerals, elections at all levels, first nations' signing of modern treaties…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity today to speak to budget 2024 as I believe it presents a number of investments and initiatives critical to ensure that Canada keeps moving forward in difficult times. We are living difficult times. Not only are Canadians dealing with a high cost of living, driven by a complex mix of global factors, but we are struggling with dramatically increasing costs o…
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Mr. Speaker, I really want to thank my colleague from Courtenay—Alberni, who is a strong advocate and friend in working together toward common aims in health, and children's health in particular. We should shortly be able to present the report from our study at the health committee on children's health. There are many recommendations in there to inform a national perspective and coordination in im…
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I apologize, Mr. Speaker. The hon. Leader of the Opposition has already committed to voting against the budget, and this means voting against increased health care funding, a national school food program, funding to build nearly four million more homes, support for renters, free contraception and diabetes medication, affordable dental care and much more. What kind of country do Canadians want to l…
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Mr. Speaker, there is so much in this budget, and in previous budgets, that is building toward a new energy future. In my community of Yukon, we are investing in the critical minerals that will drive our move toward green energy and a green future and also stimulate and revive the economy for all Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a very important question. I am going to focus on the range of investments found in the budget, which includes investments in the housing market. The federal government is still ready to work with provincial partners, including Quebec, to ensure we also make investments for the homeless.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the overdose crisis continues to devastate our country, and no region, including the north, has been spared. As a former chief medical officer, I am also deeply concerned by the level of disinformation currently being promulgated by the Conservatives. The study that I proposed is currently in the health committee; it would allow all parties to travel around the country, learn from exp…
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Madam Speaker, I want to ask the member about what his views are on the importance of some of the national programs we have rolled out, and continue to roll out, in the last few years. I am talking about dental care and pharmacare, but also the national child care plan, and how they meet the affordability needs of Canadians in this moment.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak in support of the bill my hon. colleague for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford has presented. He has been a champion of this issue for a long time, and I believe that Bill C-277, the national strategy on brain injuries act, is an important piece of legislation that I hope all members of this chamber will be able to support. By the time I finish my remarks in nine or 10…
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