Routine Proceedings
With regard to improvements to education infrastructure on-reserve, broken down by province or territory and year since 2015: (a) what new school construction projects have been supported; (b) what renovation projects, upgrading projects, supporting projects or feasibility studies have been completed; and (c) of the funding made available in budget 2016, how much of that funding has been (i) deliv…
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Uqaqtittiji, today, we recognize and mourn the loss of the victims in James Smith Cree Nation, the tragedy that occurred on September 4, 2022. My thoughts are with the many others wounded and with the community, which has been wounded by this event. The impacts of intergenerational trauma continue to be exposed through such acts of violence. My thoughts are with the community of James Smith Cree N…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-297, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (Indigenous languages). [Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:] ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗ ᖁᔭᓕᒍᒪᕗᖓ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᖅᔪᐊᕐᒃ ᐊᑦᒪᓐᑕᓐ- ᒍᕆᔅᐹᒧᑦ, ᐊᐃᒃᐲᒪᑦ ᑖᒃᓱᒥᖓ ᒪᓕᒐᒃᓴᒃᒥᒃ. ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᑦᓇᓪᓗᐊᕕᒃ ᒧᒥᓛᖅ ᖃᖅᑲᖅ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᖅᔪᐊᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒧ ᐱᒋᐊᖅᑎᓚᐅᖅᑕᖓ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᓐᓇᓱᒃᑲᒃᑯ [Member provided the following translation:] First off, I would like to very much thank m…
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Uqaqtittiji, yesterday the government announced billions for Arctic defence. Arctic sovereignty is always colonial and patriarchal. The High Arctic relocatees who live in Grise Fiord and Resolute can attest to being sent there without the resources they needed to survive and thrive. Investments in the north need to help northerners access safe housing, clean drinking water and fresh food. Current …
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[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:] ᐅᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨ, ᓯᕗᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᑳᓇᑕᓕᒫᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᕆᔭᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᐅᓪᓗᖃᑦᑎᐊᖁᕙᓯ. [Member provided the following translation:] First of all, I wish you all a wonderful Indigenous Peoples Day. [English] I am honoured to speak on National Indigenous Peoples Day. There are many stories that I could share. Inuit, first nations and Métis in Canada have made hist…
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Uqaqtittiji, during the 2019 election, the member's party promised to make sure that the CBSA had the resources it needed to detect and stop the flow of weapons at our borders. Why has the Liberal government not restored the more than 1,000 positions cut by previous Conservative governments, which are required to stop the flow of weapons at the Canada-U.S. border?
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Uqaqtittiji, food insecurity in Nunavut is a major issue. The cost-of-living crisis is making a bad situation even worse. In budget 2022, the Liberals did not mention food insecurity in the north once. My constituents are being left behind by the government. Food has expired by the time it reaches shelves in Nunavut. This is not how people in Canada should live. Why has the government not taken st…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, my dad completed suicide when I was very young, but I was very fortunate to have several different father figures with several different families throughout Nunavut. I would love to wish them a happy Father's Day. I also wish a special one to my husband Allan. As a blended family, we were able to raise nine children together, so happy Father's Day to Allan. I am privileged to stand he…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to ask the member if his party understands that the proposed changes in Bill C-11 include user-generated content creators generally but provide exceptions only to professional content providers who are generating revenue.
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Uqaqtittiji, I was glad to see that amendments were made regarding user-generated providers. I wonder if the member could help clarify what the amendments would mean if Bill C-11 were to pass.
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Uqaqtittiji, imagine a family member needs urgent medical attention. In Nunavut, this means spending thousands of dollars to travel great distances just to access basic health care. If elders need long-term care, there are too few options. Families are forced to send their loved ones across the country, afraid that they will never seem them again. Nunavut residents deserve to have the care they ne…
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Uqaqtittiji, does the member agree that there have already been a lot of consultations and there has already been a lot of public engagement warranting the quick passage of this bill?
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Uqaqtittiji, does the member not realize this bill would actually enhance fairness because of the mechanisms that would be established, and that, through the enhancement of these fairness systems, it would help improve the protection of victims?
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Uqaqtittiji, the Canadian Judicial Council, which is comprised of chief and assistant chief justices, was doing consultations on this process as early as 2016. The Canadian Bar Association, responding to the council's consultations, in 2019 also talked about the importance of these processes being implemented. In a sense, this is not necessarily new legislation that is being considered. There was …
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[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:] ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨ, ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒃᐳᖓ ᒪᑭᑦᑕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖅ ᑖᒃᓱᒥᖓ ᒪᓕᒐᒃᓴᖅ S-21 ᑕᐃᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓯᓚᖅᔪᐊᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᓈᓇᒋᔭᖅᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᖅ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᖁᓪᓗᒍ. ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑎᖃᕈᒪᓪᓗᖓ ᖁᔭᓕᒍᒪᓪᓗᒋ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᒋᓚᐅᖅᑕᒃᑲ ᐸᓛᓐᑎᓇ ᒪᒃᑭᒃ, ᒫᓂᑲ ᐸᓂᐸᑯᑐᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒫᓂᑲ ᐃᑦᑐᒃᓵᖅᔪᐊᖅ. ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓪᓚᕆᒃᑕᒃᑲ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ. ᕐᑯᔭᓕᕐᑲᑕᐅᔪᒪᔪᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᕙᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᓕᒫᓂᒃ. ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᒃᑰᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᓯ ᒫᓐᓇᒧ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᓯᒪᑎᑦᑎᕐᑲᑕᐅᒐᓯ. ᑭᖑᓪᓕᕐᒥᒃ ᕐᑯᔭᓕᒍᒪᔭᒃᑲ ᐃᓐᓇᒻᒪᕇᑦ. ᐊᒃᓱᐊᓗᒃ ᓇᒡᓕᒋᕙᓯ…
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Uqaqtittiji, doing everything that we can to ensure that we are all contributing to the protection and promotion of indigenous languages is paramount, and we need to do what we can. This could mean levelling the playing field for competition in the online streaming act, but definitely also referencing more in relation to indigenous languages. The indigenous languages have been at risk for far too …
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Madam Speaker, that is an excellent question. I think there would continue to be unfair competition. It is just too difficult for indigenous providers to be on the same level of competition against mainstream providers like Netflix, which have millions in revenue that these indigenous providers do not have access to. I hope that answers your question.
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Uqaqtittiji, it is a pleasure, as always, to stand to represent my riding of Nunavut. I always appreciate my constituents' ongoing support and the feedback that they provide to me. I will share my time with the member for Edmonton Griesbach. I always appreciate his great interventions in the House. He is such a great role model for young indigenous men and for all those who identify as two-spirit.…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for her passionate statement as well. Does the member think this bill does enough to support indigenous issues?
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Uqaqtittiji, I have been very much focused on making sure that we can do better to level the playing field against the online streaming providers, the giants like Netflix. That is what this bill tries to do, and that will flow to ensuring that the regional and community-level providers are getting the supports that they need, because the legislation speaks not only to broadcasting providers but al…
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Uqaqtittiji, I did allude to it in my presentation. Great places like the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation have been able to televise Inuit content. The online streaming act is the next step to ensuring that we do the same for online streaming providers. It is just as important. It is the next logical step that we need to do to ensure that indigenous languages and cultural content are provided by In…
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Uqaqtittiji, a constituent of mine, Alexis Utatnaq, wrote to me supporting the passing of Bill C-11. She said that it was long overdue and that an update needed to be made. She also said to me, “I am proud of our cultural productions and want to make sure Parliamentarians pass C-11”. Does the member intend to put an end to this injustice, or rather protect the profits of web giants, which would ul…
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Uqaqtittiji, since the beginning of the pandemic, our cultural workers have been losing jobs and income. In 2020, one in four people working in the cultural sector lost their jobs. Netflix's revenue increased by over 22% in the same year, yet the Conservatives plan to stand in the way of cultural workers. Does the member believe that Netflix is not making enough profit to pay its fair share to cul…
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Uqaqtittiji, if we are to address systemic racism in our justice system and the overincarceration of indigenous peoples, racialized people and Canadians living in poverty, then we need to do more than the timid measures put forward by the Liberals in this bill. Can the member share some ideas of how this bill can be improved so it is less timid and actually serves to address the systemic racism we…
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[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:] ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨ ᓈᒻᒫᓂᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᑐᐃᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᔭᐅᓗᐊᕌᓂᒃᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, ᐊᓪᓚᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓪᓚᖓᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᓕᐊᖑᔪᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᓯᓂᐊᕐᓂᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᓄᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓅᖓᔪᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᕆᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᒻᒪᕆᖕᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂ ᐃᓅᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ ᓈᒻᒫᓂᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᑐᐃᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅ. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance, ᐊᓪᓚᐃᑦ ᓄᑲᕇᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥᒃ ᑕᐃᔭᐅᔪᖅ “ᓈᒻᒫᓂᖏᑦᑐᒥᒃ ᐃᖅᑲᑐᐃᔪᓕᕆᓂᖅᒥᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ 12 …
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Uqaqtittiji, I am very pleased to represent Nunavut, and I thank my constituents for their continued faith and trust in me to represent them in matters as important as those contained within in this bill. I take this opportunity to share the meaning of my surname ldlout, pronounced in Inuktitut as illauq. Translated into English, it means “embryo of marine mammals”, like walrus and seals. Indeed, …
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Uqaqtittiji, Suncor reported net profits of over $4 billion. It distributed $3.9 billion to its shareholders. The motion before us seems to indicate that the Conservative Party is acting as a gatekeeper for such corporations. I would like to ask the member why his party thinks that cutting taxes at the pumps will stop big oil and gas from simply raising gas prices.
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Uqaqtittiji, The North West Company is a multinational Canadian grocery and retail store, which, according to its reports in October, said its profits were 57.6% higher than at prepandemic levels. Does the member agree that taxing the windfall pandemic profits of big corporations is a better way to help Canadians?
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Uqaqtittiji, I have shared in the House several times the food insecurity issues that are suffered by my constituents and many indigenous peoples. Meanwhile, major corporations, such as Loblaws and The North West Company are reporting billions and millions in profits, as well as billions and millions in dividends going to shareholders. Instead of increasing the profits of these major corporations,…
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Uqaqtittiji, I asked the government to meet with the most impacted communities of Baffinland's Mary River project. The Minister of Environment promised that they would do consultations, but since February, my constituents have been ignored by the government. The Minister of Northern Affairs has fewer than 70 days before a decision needs to be made on this urgent issue. The most impacted communitie…
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Uqaqtittiji, I think it is a statement that absolutely makes it necessary why we need to keep that legislation and those policies, because that discrimination exists. We need to make sure that these policies are used to open opportunities for people who are indigenous, who have disabilities, who are visible minorities. It is the reason why we need to say not to pass this motion, because we still h…
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Uqaqtittiji, I enjoy working with the member on the standing committee. It is a difficult question, but it is an important one, with all that is going on in Canada, with all that is going on in research. I know that in the Arctic, for sure, a lot of the academics are starting to open up to the idea of the importance of using indigenous traditional knowledge so that academia and indigenous traditio…
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Uqaqtittiji, I just want to drive back to the importance of identity. I think that identity does play a huge role in Canada. We are quite proud of ourselves as Canadians who support each other, and Canadians are the most generous when it comes to charity. Being an individualistic person who only serves to promote oneself as a person is not something that is a very Canadian part of our identity. I …
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[Member spoke in Inuktitut as follows:] ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔩ. ᐃᓄᒃᑑᕐᓗᖓ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᒪᕗᖓ, ᓴᖅᕿᑦᑎᑦᑐᒪᒐᒃᑯ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᖅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓚᐃᓐᓇᖅᓯᐅᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᒥᓱᓂᒃ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓂᑦ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓱᕋᒃᑎᖅᑕᐅᓇᔭᕐᓂᖓᓐᓂ. ᐅᕙᖓᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅᖢᖓ ᓇᒻᒥᓂ ᑐᑭᓯᔪᖓ ᐃᓄᒃᑑᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐅᕙᓂ ᐃᒃᓯᕚᖅᑎᓪᓗᖓ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓚᐃᓐᓇᖅᓯᐅᕐᓂᖓ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕈᑕᐅᓇᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᓴᖅᕿᔮᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒪᔪᖓ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓚᐃᓐᓇᖅᓯᐅᖏᓐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕉᑎᖃᕈᒪᓪᓗᖓ. [Inuktitut text translated as follows:] Madam Speaker, I would like to start o…
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Uqaqtittiji, after the 15th-year evaluation of the research program, they responded to the recommendations by implementing the equity, diversity, and inclusion action plan. Does the member agree that continued implementation is required to continue to ensure that there is transparency in the allocation, selection and renewal processes of chair holders?
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Uqaqtittiji, I wonder if there is a common misunderstanding of how the hiring process works. Should the focus not be on improving that process, rather than breaking down the years of work that have been done to keep discrimination at bay?
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Uqaqtittiji, the legacy of colonialism is deep. Former students, now parents and grandparents, told churches and governments about the loss of their loved ones. They were ignored. Unmarked graves are now being found and many more will show the truth of what was hidden. Indigenous peoples need the resources to support each other in these traumatic experiences. Will the government provide funding di…
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Mr. Chair, does the minister know how many banks are operated in Nunavut?
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Mr. Chair, I do look forward to that information. I will help the minister with some of these questions. Nunavut has 25 post offices in all 25 communities. It has eight banks. I am quite sure that the realities are similar in indigenous communities. I am going to ask the minister a yes-or-no question. Does the minister agree that access to affordable, quality banking is a challenge for Nunavut and…
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Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that learning this information and addressing the systemic inequity can address reconciliation with indigenous peoples?
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Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that Australia has operated a postal operating system that offers over 3,500 post offices with access to banking services?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that it is within her mandate to work with Canada Post to develop a postal banking system?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that Canada needs to do more to reconcile with indigenous people in Canada?
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Mr. Chair, will the minister work with me to at least develop a pilot project in Nunavut to check the viability of developing a postal banking system for the rest of Canada?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister recall this quote from her mandate letter? Ensure that Canada Post provides a high quality of service that Canadians expect at a reasonable price and better reaches Canadians in rural and remote areas. You will be supported in this work by the Minister of Rural Economic Development.
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Mr. Chair, I will quote another sentence in the mandate letter: You will also leverage the government's purchasing power to increase access to economic opportunity for a greater diversity of Canadians. Does the minister recall that as well?
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Mr. Chair, will the minister work with me on the viability of a postal banking system in Nunavut?
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Mr. Chair, can the government instruct banks like First Nations Bank, TD Bank and Scotiabank to open branches in places like my riding?
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Mr. Chair, I will now turn to another aspect. Last year, polling conducted by Canada around postal services raised concerns about cuts to services and jobs. What are the government's plans for Canada Post to ensure that transparency is happening?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister think the government can instruct the banks I mentioned earlier to operate in indigenous communities and rural communities?
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