Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have tremendous respect for the member, not only because he was previously a chief of his nation but also because of his lived experience in the first nations in his community. The member opposite was around the first nations chiefs last week as they gathered at the AFN, and I was there with him. I heard first nations chiefs from all across this country, especially British Columbi…
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Mr. Speaker, our government continues to respect and acknowledge the important work they are doing as first nations leaders across this country. Our ministers have been busy all week listening to rights holders and going to the meetings. I, as a former Assembly of First Nations National Youth Council member and a former regional chief, know the important work that goes into the development of reso…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her work at the indigenous and northern affairs committee when she was there. She talked a lot about why it is important for us to have oversight when we are looking at modern-day treaties and the things that Canada has agreed to. When I was speaking with some of the stakeholders who have been pushing for this, they said we really needed accou…
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Mr. Speaker, the member was a productive member at the indigenous and northern affairs committee during her time there, and I want to thank her for her efforts at that committee. Next week, we will have the Assembly of First Nations in town for its annual general assembly. We will have hundreds of chiefs and more than 600 first nations community members from all across Canada. They will be asking …
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Madam Speaker, It's not for me to rock the boat, But what's the deal on last week's vote? We won the thing, so I won't gloat But Robert Fife, I'd like to quote: He spoke about some sneaky deeds Where two were, hiding in the weeds, Which served the Tories voting needs “Embarrassing!”—the headline reads. Their outline makes it all but certain The two that hid behind the curtain, With a snap election…
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Madam Speaker, we are committed on this side of the House to co-operative federalism with the province of Alberta, but we remain committed and we remain respectful of aboriginal and treaty rights, as well as the free, prior and informed consent of communities that is entrenched in UNDRIP. We are going to continue to respect these rights. It is not only the right thing to do; it is also the law.
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Mr. Speaker, when I talk to youth in my riding, they are asking us to invest in a better future. They are asking us to help build Canada, and they want to be a part of this. They want to be part of the trades. They want education. They want our economy to thrive. Confident countries invest in their communities and in their youth. Confident countries do the work that needs to be done to give those …
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Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite were to read the memorandum of understanding, he would see that what the Prime Minister has agreed to are certain conditions that would allow, potentially, in the future, for a pipeline. Those conditions are predicated on the fact that first nations have full, free, prior and informed consent in the project, and that British Columbia is part of the project. I am…
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2025 meets an important moment in our country's history. It is a budget that bets on Canada, a budget that invests in our future and ensures that we will build a strong and resilient future. The challenge before us is to become less reliant on our trade partners to the south and to build from within. I would like to start off by talking about one of my favourite words in the En…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the Conservatives wish that Canadians had afforded them the ability to create a budget, but they chose the Liberals. They chose us because of the fact that we invest in them, in our youth and in our country. We believe in building a stronger country for all Canadians. When I knock on doors, not one person ever talks to me about the deficit or the debt. They talk about what…
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Mr. Speaker, it was one of the plans of the Conservative Premier of Nova Scotia to ensure that we move forward with wind energy. It is what he asked our government to do, and we delivered on that. Whatever stripes people have or political parties they belong to, they can agree that clean energy is the best energy for Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, this evening I would like to share some thoughts on something that has been a lifelong passion for me, and that is ensuring the implementation of treaty rights and inherent rights in Canada. In fact, besides studying treaties in law school and being a professor of aboriginal and treaty rights at Cape Breton University, I was honoured to be given the opportunity to be the first-ever tr…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the member is from the Yukon, and I cannot help but notice that there are so many communities from the Yukon that would be helped by the legislation. I am sure the member has heard advocacy from Yukon first nations leaders over his time as a member of Parliament. I wonder if the member would share some of the information and advocacy from the first nations leaders of the Y…
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Mr. Speaker, I sit with my colleague on the INAN committee and appreciate his views and questions. The member talked a bit about some of the rights that the previous Conservative government promoted, but he did not once mention the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which Stephen Harper and Conservatives voted against at the United Nations, whereas we as a federal gove…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a little confused. I have been hearing the Conservatives talk about how many modern-day treaties they signed under Stephen Harper. On the one hand they are bragging about how many treaties they have signed, and on the other hand, they are saying that they are not going to vote for oversight or for someone to ensure that implementation and education around the modern treaties are …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, today, I rise in the House to honour Eleanor Mitchell from the Potlotek Mi'kmaq community, an elder whose life embodies resilience, compassion and enduring strength. Eleanor was taken to the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School at the age of six, separated from her family and subjected to the trauma that so many indigenous children endured. Despite these hardships, Eleanor's life …
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Mr. Speaker, we are closer than ever before on ending water advisories on reserve. We have lifted 147 water advisories since 2015. The next step on our reconciliation journey is passing the first nations clean water act, but the Conservatives are blocking the bill from moving forward to the Senate. It is shameful to stand against first nations clean water standards like this, and it is shameful th…
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Mr. Speaker, on November 30, I was honoured to attend the signing of the Red River Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Treaty in Treaty 1 territory, the homeland of the Red River Métis, with the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations. It was the first of its kind. This co-developed modern treaty will recognize the Manitoba Métis Federation as the government of the Red River Métis …
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Mr. Speaker, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion, that notwithstanding any—
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Mr. Speaker, I think the more we find out about the residential schools, the more Canadians realize the horrific tragedies that occurred there. I can say, as a nephew of multiple aunts who went to residential school, we continue to focus on support and healing. That is why we have the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to continue to have these discussions and to open the minds of Canadian…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her question. It is an important one. Our government is committed to closing the infrastructure gap by 2030. Since 2016, we have put more than $25 billion into infrastructure, which has meant more than 9,000 infrastructure projects in Canada for indigenous people. We are going to continue to work toward reconciliation. We are going to co…
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Madam Speaker, I think we all agree that we need to do more to address murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada. That is why one of the key budget items in the last budget was a red dress alert. We are listening to stakeholders. We are following the good practices in communities such as Nova Scotia, which is showing how to do this. We know that we can do better on this, and our government c…
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Mr. Speaker, who does not love Christmas music? If We Make It Through December is one of my favourites. It is about the difficult times that families experience during the holiday season. On December 14, our government will help families by pausing the tax on essential items like groceries, toys, children's clothing, holiday goodies and even Christmas trees. However, the Leader of the Opposition, …
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Madam Speaker, on November 8, Canadians pay tribute to the first nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, all of whom have served Canada in times of war and peace for more than 200 years. Thousands of indigenous people have proudly served in uniform. However, despite their service and their sacrifice on the front lines, indigenous veterans were subjected to repeated injustice and discrimination. Often, t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
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…
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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, our hearts go out to the families and friends who have lost their lives to the toxic drug and overdose crisis. No community has been left untouched by this tragic public health crisis. We all have a responsibility to do everything we can to help Canadians and not look away. As part of an overall comprehensive approach, our government continues to support efforts to divert people who…
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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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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…
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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 →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…
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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…
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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. …
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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 …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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…
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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…
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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 …
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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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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…
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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 …
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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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