Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, Food Banks Canada said that nearly 1.5 million visits were made to food banks this year. This is a 15% increase from the previous year. At the same time, the revenue of Loblaws was $12.12 billion. I say these two figures because I wonder where the food banks got their groceries. I am sure they bought them from Loblaws. Does the member not agree that the Canada recovery dividend needs …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, first nations communities bear the brunt of the climate emergency. Today's report from the Auditor General confirms that the Liberal government continues to abandon first nations communities, including when preparing for forest fires and floods. This abandonment is costing lives. Given the right resources, first nations communities can prevent disasters on their lands. When will the g…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to ask the minister if he could talk more about the Canada growth fund and how it will increase the under-represented groups of indigenous peoples and women in the trades.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, unfortunately, I was quite disheartened to hear the member's characterization of the spending as an addiction to spending. My constituents suffer from real addictions that we have to talk about these days. However, I want to talk about the need for recovery. It is quite critical, now more than ever. The question is this: Where do we recover these costs from? Does the member not agree …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I want to first give the member a special “welcome back”. I missed him while he was away. I also appreciate that he shared the important policy initiatives that could have been covered in the fall economic statement, including with respect to addressing housing in Nunavut. I want to ask the member this. Does he agree that any economic policy that comes out of any government needs to f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the member neglected to mention the profits that were being made by grocery stores in the north, so I will mention very quickly that The North West Company, which is a grocery store in the north, including in the northern communities he mentioned, has had increases in sales of 2.4%. It profited by $13.2 million, or 63.9% more than prepandemic figures. It also reported an increase in t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, it is good to hear that the Bloc is willing to support this bill. I share the same concerns about the provisions for protecting minors, and the bill right now as it is does not provide very good guidance on sensitive information. I wonder if the member agrees that this bill could be enhanced by providing more guidance on how to handle sensitive information in relation to protecting mi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples enshrines the right to housing for indigenous peoples, yet many struggle to find an adequate home. The Liberal government has failed to recognize these rights and invest in an indigenous housing strategy for people who are compelled to leave their home communities. As a result, many indigenous peoples end up in units i…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I thank the member for Mirabel for introducing this important bill. I think it is very important, especially at a time when we need to regain trust in our institutions. It is a very important instrument that can help build toward that. I want to ask about the systemic racism that many indigenous peoples, Black people and people in the BIPOC community experience from public servants. C…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, my constituents continue to vocalize their concerns regarding Baffinland's phase two proposal to the Mary River project. The government continues to ignore their concerns on impacts to the wildlife and surrounding environment. The government will have to decide whether it will listen to the recommendations made by the Nunavut Impact Review Board, or do what it is good at and ignore th…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, as stipulated in section 5.7.3 of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, the hunters and trappers associations and organizations in Nunavut have an essential responsibility to regulate and manage harvesting in their communities. I say this again: They protect harvesting rights in Nunavut. The Liberal government has consistently refused to meet with impacted hunters and trappers organizati…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, the outdated diesel power plant in Sanirajak resulted in the community being without power for four days as temperatures dipped to -17°C. Not only do the power plants harm the environment, but they are unreliable and outdated. The government continues to neglect the needs of communities and they must invest in projects such as the Kivalliq hydro link. When will the government help Nun…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, indigenous children have been torn from their families, communities and cultural practices for decades. Yesterday, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal reaffirmed our knowledge that the government continues to wilfully discriminate against indigenous children. The government must listen to advocates and make sure every child affected is eligible for compensation and leaves no one behind…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, Inuit elders have endured many atrocities in their lifetimes and deserve to age with dignity. These atrocities include residential schools, forced religious conversion and the slaughter of sled dogs. Due to failures from this government, Inuit are exiled down south in long-term care facilities. It is unacceptable that elders in Nunavut fear dying alone, away from home. When will the g…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I agree very much with both the Conservatives and the Liberals that the arguments have been made not to have this motion go forward. I also really appreciated the member of Parliament for Perth—Wellington's indicating all of the social indicators that we could have discussed and tried to address in this motion. I wonder if the member agrees that maybe the party could have done better …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, we are told there is no relationship more important than the one with indigenous peoples, yet the government is funding law enforcement that upholds the systemic racism that has existed for too long. To this day, these institutions have failed to adequately respond to important work led by indigenous peoples, including the MMIWG calls for justice. If the federal government will not di…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, residential school survivors continue to live abuses from the government. The government says it is acting. Out of the 106 applications for burial searches, 84 have been approved. This is not enough. This week in Winnipeg, researchers, academics and first nations communities from all over the country are gathering to share what they have learned in their search for unmarked graves at …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:] ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑎᖃᒻᒪᕆᒃᐳᑦ ᑕᕆᐅᕐᒥᐅᑕᖁᑎᒥᓐᓂ. ᐅᒥᐊᕐᔪᐊᑦ ᐃᑳᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᕙᓕᐊᓂᖏᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᒻᒪᑕ. ᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᒦᑎᑦᑎᕙᓪᓕᐊᕗᖅ ᐅᖅᓱᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᑯᕕᔪᖃᕐᓂᖅᐸ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐅᐸᓗᖓᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᓐᓇᖏᑕᖏᓐᓂ. ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᖅ ᑲᓇᑕᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᔭᐅᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᒦᑉᐳᖅ. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᑕᑯᓂᕋᖅᐸᒃᑑᒐᓗᐊᑦ ᓱᖁᑎᒋᔭᐅᖏᒪᑕ. ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓂ ᑎᓕᓯᕗᖓ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂ ᓴᐳᔾᔨᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᑐᓐᓂᖅᓴᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ [Member provided the following translation:] Uqaqtittiji, Nunav…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I would first like to acknowledge the great work the member does with my colleagues from Courtenay—Alberni and Edmonton Riverbend for Father's Day on the Hill, which focuses on improving men's mental health. I think that is great work. Qujannamiik for that. Knowing that professional certified mental health services are not adequately meeting the needs of indigenous peoples, does the m…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I thank the member for sharing her story. It is a very important one and one that too many Nunavummiut relate to, because the youth suicide rate in Nunavut is quite high. Having said that, I know that one of the things that seem to be most effective for addressing suicide is to make sure that youth actually realize there is nothing wrong with them, because the way that suicide prevent…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vancouver East. As parliamentarians, we must recognize indigenous-led mental health services. Colonial mental health services are not having the same effect for Nunavummiut as they may for other Canadians. Since time immemorial, first nations, Métis and Inuit have used their own practices to support each other. Our mental wellness practice…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I have asked several times in the House about the nutrition north program, which is a federally funded program that is subsidizing for-profit companies, rather than helping people in poverty. Because of the subsidy that is being given to for-profit companies, people who are in poverty are suffering and are continuing to live in mental health conditions that they should not have to. I …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank my colleague for all the work that he does in the area of mental health, as well. Reconciliation is going to be a very long journey because of the deep impacts that colonialism continues to have. Definitely, better funding, healing centres and healing programs will take that step forward quite a bit, but that will not be sufficient. There are too many investments…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I really appreciate the space that the hon. member has given me to retell a story that is still so fresh in my mind that it still brings me to tears, which I was told by the Taloyoak Housing Authority. When, unfortunately, this young pregnant Inuk woman was told that, no, she was not getting a house, she died by suicide because she felt so hopeless. It brings to bear just how much of …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, when I visited Kugaaruk, I was told of the consequences that housing boards face when they say no to an applicant. One decision resulted in turning away a young pregnant woman because there were no houses available. In hopelessness, she completed suicide. The housing board suffers with this decision while the government continues to fall short on meeting the housing needs in Nunavut. …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I, too, would like to give my condolences to the member for what has happened in his riding. It is always very sad to hear about these kinds of incidents of violence anywhere. I just wanted to ask a question in relation to what I asked a previous member. There have been a lot of gaps in the dental care and health care system. I really feel that this bill tries to fill some of those ga…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, while the New Democrats welcome this benefit, more short- and long-term solutions are needed to address the housing crisis. I have a constituent in Whale Cove. He is the mayor, Percy Kabloona, who lives in a social housing unit that has not been renovated in five years. His house has split in half, and they use duct tape to keep the wind from coming in. I know that a lot more investme…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, according to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 6.8 million people avoided visiting a dental professional because of the expense. That was three years ago. It has taken the Liberals this long to create this bill. I wonder if the member could describe why at this point they have decided finally to implement this national program.
Read full speech →Government Orders
[Member spoke in Inuktitut as follows:] ᐋ, ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᔩ, ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑳᕈᒪᓵᖅᑐᖓ ᑐᑭᓯᑎᑦᓯᔪᒪᓪᓗᖓᓕ ᓈᓚᒃᑕᐅᔾ-ᔮᖏᑦᑐᖓ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᑐ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᑎᒡ-ᓗᖓ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐅᐃᕖᑎᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖅᑲᐅᑎᒡᓗᒍ ᐱᖅᑲᐅᖏᒻᒪᑦ. [Inuktitut text translated as follows:] Mr. Speaker, I want to begin in Inuktitut to make you understand that I am not heard when I speak in Inuktitut. The member spoke in French and this did not happen. [English] I wanted to start by speaking in …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I welcome members back from break week. I had the wonderful privilege of going home to Iqaluit and then on to two of my communities, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk. Bill S-219, an act respecting a national ribbon skirt day, is about preserving a cultural world view and the importance of ribbon skirts. It provides an opportunity for us to recognize indigenous cultures and the prominence of indi…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I want to thank the member for sponsoring this bill. I have every respect for it, but unfortunately, it excludes Inuit cultural practices. I wonder if the member would be willing to see amendments to make sure all indigenous cultural practices are reflected in this bill.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the NDP has been supportive of the bill because it has been made obvious that there are gaps in the dental care program. This bill attempts to fill some of those gaps. Why, during this time of inflation, when families are forced to make difficult choices as to what they can afford for their dental care needs, which is an essential part of their overall health, do the Conservatives con…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, it is really unfortunate that the Conservatives are seeing this as a cost to Canadians, when it really has to be seen as a benefit to low-income families. Having said that, I think we also need to recognize the urgent issues we need to address, especially around mental health. The Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates, for example, that mental health issues and illness cost Can…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, inevitably, there will always be people with disabilities who cannot be gainfully employed. I hope they are not going to be ineligible because of that. I want to ask, instead, about indigenous peoples with disabilities and others who have disabilities who live in rural and remote communities, communities that have a higher cost of living. I wonder if the member agrees that maybe there…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, indigenous peoples with disabilities face extra challenges when trying to access services and, I am sure, will have extra challenges trying to access this benefit once it is available to them. I wonder if the member could agree that indigenous peoples with disabilities will need to get special provisions in trying to access these services, especially when they prefer to speak or be he…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for introducing this important bill. Canada has not yet responded to the United Nations call for Canada to develop an international human rights action strategy. I wonder if the member would agree to amend the bill so that it would require Canada to develop such an important strategy.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the population of Nunavut is about 40,000 people. This bill, if passed, would help more than two million people. That is more than triple the number of people who live in Nunavut. Why is the member against targeted measures that would help all these millions of people in Canada?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I thank the member for Northumberland—Peterborough South for this thoughtful bill. I thank my constituents from Nunavut for trusting in me to represent their voice on such important matters as Bill C-281. I especially appreciate this opportunity, as I learned more about our laws in this bill and where our work as parliamentarians can make a difference for human rights domestically and…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the realities in Nunavut are very different from the other northern territories, NWT and Yukon, so food production is quite different. For Nunavut, one of the ways that improvements could be made is to better support hunters and harvesters who still rely on subsistence hunting, which they do not get enough support for. I would definitely professionalize the systems in which Inuit thri…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, Nunavummiut deserve a government that takes indigenous mental health seriously. It is not enough for the government to announce only $11 million for the national Inuit suicide prevention strategy, despite committing to $228 million for indigenous mental health. Indigenous people rightfully expect more from the government, which continues to be all talk with no action. Will the governm…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I was very recently in Greenland with other parliamentarians at the Arctic parliamentarians summit, and we had the great pleasure of visiting a greenhouse facility that runs on hydroponics. It was such a great example of what can happen in Arctic communities, and we need to model those kinds of examples. If they can work in Greenland, they should be able to work in Nunavut as well.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, people are clearly frustrated that they are paying more for food, but the CEOs of big food chains are making big profits on the backs of people, and we are not villainizing these people. For the seven years that the Liberals have been in power, this government has protected the profits of the wealthiest by refusing to toughen the Competition Act to punish the CEOs of the big companies…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, Canadians deserve answers. We deserve to learn why corporate greed is protected while Canadians pay more for food. This motion is a way to try to get some of those answers. Does the member agree that the agriculture committee should call the CEOs of the major grocery chains to come and explain their excessive profits?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, big grocery stores are taking too much from struggling Canadians. Much of the time the north experiences unique challenges. Unfortunately, the north is not immune to this issue. NorthMart, owned by the North West Company, reported net earnings of over $150 million in 2021. This is nearly a 10% increase from the year before. Canadians need answers. Shareholders profited from increased …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the first question I would ask is how they formulate profits over prices, because prices do not need to be at the cost of profits going to CEOs.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Uqaqtittiji, Savanna Pikuyak moved from my riding to Ottawa in pursuit of becoming a nurse. Savanna was murdered before the school year began. We all have failed her, her family and all indigenous girls, women and two-spirit people. Words of empathy are not enough. As parliamentarians, we need to do better. We must work in our constituencies to seek justice for Savanna and for all missing and murd…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, colonial laws and policies remain deep-rooted. Death by suicide in Nunavut is 10 times higher than the rest of Canada. I have asked the government repeatedly to invest in Nunavut and indigenous communities so they can thrive, but the government is still failing to deliver the mental health supports needed. Monday is World Mental Health Day and indigenous communities are watching. Will…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, several months ago, I asked the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and other ministers if they had met with impacted communities regarding their concerns with the Nunavut Impact Review Board's recommendations on Baffinland's phase two proposal. The minister's response was, “I can assure the member...that the consideration of indigenous people and the people of the north, Inuit…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
[Member spoke in Inuktitut as follows:] ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᓯᔩ, ᓯᕗᕐᓕᕐᒥᒃ, ᐋ, ᕋᐃᒪᓐ ᓂᖏᐅᒃᓯᐊᖅ ᐃᓚᑯᓗᖏᑦ ᓇᒡᓕᒋᒍ-ᒪᕙᒃᑲ ᑭᖑᕚᖏᓪᓗ ᑕᒪᒃᑕᑦᓯᐊᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑕᐅᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᕿᒪᒃᑕᐅᔪᐃᓐᓇᐅᒐᑦᑕ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎᖅᓯᔩ, ᐋ, ᐱᕋᔭᒃᓯᒪᓂᑯᐃᑦ ᐃᒃᓯᓐᓇᐃᓯᒪᓂᒡᓗ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᐋ, ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᓗᐊᕐᒪᑦ, ᐅᕙᒎᔪᒍᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᖅᔪᐊᖑᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓇᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᓯᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᖃᓪᓗᓈᑎᑐᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᖏᑦ ᐊᑦᑐᐃᓯᒪᓗᐊᕐᒪᑕ ᒫᓐᓇᒧᑦ, ᐅᕙᒎᔪᒍᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᕐᔪᐊᖑᔪᑎᒍᑦ ᓅᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᓈᓚᑦᑎᐊᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᓈᒻᒪᒃᓴᖃᑎᒌᓕᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᕆᐊᖃᒻᒪᕆᑉᐸᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂᒃ …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, indigenous communities deserve justice and a chance to heal from the legacy of residential schools. The government promised $200 million in funding for burial site searches but has delivered less than half of that money. It is shameful that the government is denying indigenous communities the funding needed to search for their lost children and for vital mental health supports. When w…
Read full speech →