Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I wonder if the member for Jonquière agrees that to move away from populism and to unify Canadians, it is better to employ Canadians. Is it better to create and implement a plan to hire more screening officers to reduce wait times?
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Uqaqtittiji, I am glad that the member mentioned CATSA, because it is facing a labour shortage. To fix that requires better wages and more support for workers. Do the Conservatives acknowledge that we need to support public servants, like the workers keeping the flying public safe every day, by supporting them with good wages?
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Uqaqtittiji, I think the impetus behind this motion is really important, but I think the perspectives are quite skewed. The solution needs to be practical. We in the NDP are very much focused on the workforce. Can the government explain why it continues to undervalue the vital work in keeping the flying public safe as performed by security officers, and does it acknowledge that it is simply not do…
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Uqaqtittiji, I have asked the government many times about programs and services towards the betterment of Inuit, first nations and Métis. Indigenous people do not have adequate housing, proper investments in education and mental health supports. This is systemic discrimination from the federal government. Now the Parliamentary Budget Officer tells us that the government is accomplishing less than …
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Qujannamiik, Iksivautaq, Iksivautaq meaning “chair”. I will be splitting my time with the member for Courtenay—Alberni. My first set of questions will be regarding Canada Post. Does the minister know how many post offices are operated in Nunavut?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister know what percentage of post offices in Canada are in indigenous communities?
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Uqaqtittiji, there are consequences when the Liberal government fails to implement the calls for justice by the national inquiry on MMIWG. Indigenous women and land defenders continue to face systemic discrimination and violence from the RCMP. Indigenous women are increasingly overrepresented in Canada's prisons. Indigenous women are still experiencing disproportionate rates of violence. When will…
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Uqaqtittiji, discovering burial sites outside former residential schools is difficult for indigenous peoples, and it should be for all Canadians. The government promised to provide support to indigenous communities looking for their children. Yesterday, the minister admitted that many of the promises the government made have no timeline for completion. First nations and Inuit are still asking for …
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman for sharing in his intervention the piece on the geography of ridings. As members know, as the member of Parliament for Nunavut I have a huge riding. I have 25 mayors, 25 communities with schools and 25 communities with health centres, and I cannot visit all 25 communities in one fiscal year. It would take me more than one…
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Uqaqtittiji, the Nunavut Impact Review Board recommended that the government reject Baffinland's phase 2 proposal. The board said the adverse effects cannot be prevented. People in several Nunavut communities have said that narwhal migrations have changed because of the Mary River project. The Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Organization has been trying to meet with current ministers for months.…
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Uqaqtittiji, I am glad to stand as I represent Nunavut. Since I was elected in September I have been surprised with how many foreign interference issues we have had to deal with. I would like to ask the member if he would commit to having the government bring legislation forward to combat foreign interference from China and other state parties here in Canada.
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for Hull—Aylmer. I have sat with him at PROC and I have really enjoyed his interventions and his commitment to indigenous people's issues. I sat with him as I was at PROC replacing the MP for North Island—Powell River. In my appreciation for his commitments to indigenous people, I was glad to see that there are protections for indigenous languages in t…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for his passionate speech. I was doing a lot of historical research while he was sharing his great stories. I checked to see when the Official Languages Act was first enacted. It was in 1969. It only took Canada 102 years to have an official languages act for the French language. If we compare that with the Indigenous Languages Act, which was not enact…
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Uqaqtittiji, it is great the member made such a great statement about the importance of ensuring Canadian cultural content. What the bill does not specify, though, is how long it would take to make sure that large companies like Netflix pay their fair share. I wonder if the member could share with us if the government will be transparent and make sure some of these profits are being shared with th…
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Uqaqtittiji, I was struck by a question the member asked, and here is my question for him: What is stopping Canadians from watching indigenous online streaming services like IsumaTV? The answer is, American streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. Does the member truly believe that without this bill Isuma will ever achieve the fair Canadian audiences it deserves?
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Uqaqtittiji, I know that the member for Kenora has a huge indigenous population in his riding. I would like to ask about the sections of this bill regarding indigenous people. One says, for example, “provide opportunities to Indigenous persons to produce programming in Indigenous languages, English or French, or in any combination of them, and to carry on broadcasting undertakings”. Does the membe…
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Uqaqtittiji, I appreciate the comments from the member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek and her effort in wanting to protect freedom of speech for Canadians. I am finding her position interesting, though, because as an indigenous person, as a person who has experienced intergenerational trauma, I tend to be quite sensitive to assimilation, direct or indirect. I feel like the member's opposition to th…
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Uqaqtittiji, through you, I would like to ask the member this. Bill C-11 states clearly that both the act and the CRTC shall implement the act, “in a manner consistent with the freedom of expression”. Does the member not agree that section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides the necessary guidance to allow for Canadian freedom of expression?
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Uqaqtittiji, I rise to bring awareness to Bear Witness Day. We must do everything to ensure that first nations children receive fair public services and funding. How long must we hear stories of indigenous children and families who cannot access services to ensure good health and well-being? The injustice must end. The Liberals must fully comply with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and fully im…
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Uqaqtittiji, residents of Sanirajak have not seen the $42.9 million that was delivered by the Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation to Inuit firms four years ago. This means that Inuit firms are not getting the resources they were promised. Baffinland told media that it cannot provide details about where the money went. Nunavut firms that were promised contracts are being deceived by companies that ar…
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Uqaqtittiji, I rise to amplify the inherent rights of indigenous peoples in Canada. “Reclaiming Power and Place”, the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, found, “Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people are holders of inherent Indigenous rights, constitutional rights, and international and domestic human rights.” The report calls for the…
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Uqaqtittiji, one of the 231 calls for justice calls for the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The government committed to doing so in passing Bill C-15, but in courts this week, federal lawyers now say UNDRIP is only an important interpretative aid in the process for discussions. Which is it? Will the Minister of Justice stand to confirm tha…
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Uqaqtittiji, I want to thank the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations for sharing his time with me. I am dismayed that I have to stand today and that we still need to debate sustained funding and commitments after so much work has already been completed to ensure that all Canadians understand the injustice experienced by Inuit, first nations and Métis families. On June 3, it will be three years …
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Uqaqtittiji, it was, disappointingly, provided with commitments that are never sufficient. First nations, Métis and Inuit communities do experience, as the minister mentioned, atrocities when it comes to violence. Inuit women specifically continue to experience higher levels of violence in intimate partner relations. I was told a story of a family that left Nunavut. The woman is being physically a…
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Uqaqtittiji, I believe the human rights of first nations, Métis and Inuit people continue to be ignored too much. We must do what we can to make sure that the human rights of first nations, Métis and Inuit's are as equally recognized as those the rest of Canadians enjoy. I agree we need to make sure that funding is not cut and that communities out west are also recognized for the funding they need…
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Uqaqtittiji, I absolutely agree that this funding must be provided. All too often, first nations, Métis and Inuit families have been oppressed for generations and it is very hard for first nations, Métis or Inuit to advocate for themselves. Those resources need to be provided so that first nations, Métis and Inuit can be the self-determining, self-reliant people we always were. We must return to t…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for his intervention. That was great. I am glad that he outlined some of the factors that lead to the incidents that we see all too often. I wanted to ask the member what he thinks about all those indicators impacting indigenous people's and indigenous women's perspectives on what they need to rely on, including the perceived need for resource industri…
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Uqaqtittiji, I want to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for her very inspiring story and her leadership. I very much appreciated her story about her mom, because that is a direct example of how deep the impacts are of colonialism and what those behaviours continue to do in generations that have had to follow in those traumas. I want to ask for her expertise and knowledge about how deep the imp…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the Minister of Indigenous Services for her important intervention, and thank her for confirming that she has read “Reclaiming Power and Place”. Many recommendations included in there are calls for sustainable funding in many different service areas impacting first nations, Métis and Inuit. Would the member agree that not renewing funding in the 2022 budget is an…
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Uqaqtittiji, indigenous women and girls have gone missing and have been murdered amid all these so-called investments. None of these so-called investments are reducing the impacts on the crisis that remains today. What will the member do to ensure that he and his party are being accountable and ensure sustainable and targeted funding to end the genocide against first nations, Métis and Inuit peopl…
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Uqaqtittiji, I think the hon. member's speech was great. It has been interesting to sit here during this debate and hear all the empathy and understanding that apparently seems to be quite common about the realities and experiences of first nations, Métis and Inuit. Unfortunately, we are not hearing a lot of calls for accountability. I wonder this. Can the hon. member, with her long experience as …
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Uqaqtittiji, the impacts of colonialism are deep among Inuit. In Nunavut, suicide rates are 10 times higher than in the rest of Canada. I must emphasize the need for sustainable, culturally appropriate mental wellness services. Organizations such as the Ilisaqsivik society work tirelessly to support mental well-being and train Inuit to be counsellors. To survive, Ilisaqsivik must compete for fundi…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I was struck by the member for Abbotsford mentioning the banks stepping up by increasing interest rates. I want to ask him about the banks having increased their profits, nearly $58 billion in 2021. The Royal Bank alone made $16 billion. It just seems to me that they are not necessarily stepping up when they are continuing to see great increases in their profits. I want t…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. That is a very simple answer for me, and that is yes. I would have preferred more collaboration to make sure that we are doing better for our first nations, Métis and Inuit, and I will continue to make sure that we do.
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I have been quite interested in the Conservatives' approach to addressing climate change, to addressing indigenous issues, to addressing what is going on in Europe. They have taken such a different approach to how we as Canadians try to support each other. In my focus, when I decided to talk about housing, I needed to do so because indigenous housing is such a major issue…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I think the member should listen to my statement more intently, because my recommendation is that the federal government needs to listen to the communities. The communities are the ones that have been offering solutions. They have been ignored long enough, and it is the communities that need to be heard when solutions are being provided. It is the federal government that …
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Uqaqtittiji, I rise today to speak about housing in my constituency. This budget has an entire first chapter on housing, and it offers the classic promises of modest levels of funding to the three territorial governments. Housing is not a new issue. Although the housing crisis in Nunavut has been raised in Parliament, there may be still little understanding or knowledge of what this crisis means o…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The member and his party have made it clear that they oppose the increases to dental care and pharmacare, which are needed by so many Canadians. How can the member justify increasing the defence budget by $24 million when so many Canadians would benefit from dental care and pharmacare?
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Uqaqtittiji, I spoke with Qajaq Robinson, who was a commissioner for the MMIWG. Robinson continues to advocate for the implementation of the calls to justice, which demand greater transparency and accountability from our government and institutions. However, the 2022 budget was silent on new commitments to protect indigenous girls, women and two-spirit people. When will the government take real ac…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. We are seeing climate impacts that are man-made, and emissions reduction is now critical. It is an immediate and long-term issue, as is what is going on with the invasion in Ukraine. They are both immediate and long term. Does the member agree that investing more into alternative energy sources is what is needed now at this important time in Canada?
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to thank the member for Richmond Hill for focusing on housing. As I have mentioned many times, indigenous housing is a major issue and a dire need in many of our communities. I had the privilege of visiting a family in one of my constituent communities in Kugluktuk. There were 13 people living in a three-bedroom unit. Does the member agree with me that everyo…
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With regard to support given to the Bearskin Lake First Nation since they declared a state of emergency on December 28, 2021: (a) when was the Minister of Indigenous Services made aware of the state of emergency; (b) on what dates did the government receive requests for support; and (c) for each of the requests received in (b), (i) what was the nature of each request, (ii) was the government able …
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With regard to the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line and the Hope for Wellness Help Line, broken down by month and by line since January 2021: (a) what is the total number of calls received; (b) what is the total number of text messages received; (c) how many employees are (i) full time employees, (ii) part-time employees, (iii) temporary employees; and (d) what is the total funding a…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. In yesterday's budget, there were no new funds to help stop the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. This is extremely disappointing. Under the government, the genocide against indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people continues. New Democrats have been fighting for funding to implement all of the calls for justice to help stop…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. This legislation not only protects the number of seats in Quebec but in all provinces and territories. The NDP will continue to ensure Quebec remains fairly represented here at the House of Commons. My question to the member is this: Should the 1991 Supreme Court case that he just cited also be used to increase indigenous representation?
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to ask the member about investments in the Arctic. What importance would he place in engaging the Inuit in the Arctic and ensuring it is the Inuit who are able to invest in protecting their own lands? As we know, Arctic sovereignty has been the greatest initiative in Canada. What would he do to make improvements so that our Arctic sovereignty includes the Inu…
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Uqaqtittiji, in Nunavut, people are feeling the impacts of the housing crisis every day. We need 3,000 more housing units so that people are not living in overcrowded housing that is in desperate need of repair. The government has only committed to building 100 units. The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy shows a current housing gap requiring $22.7 billion for first nations. Will the gover…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The lack of housing is the biggest issue in my riding. All too often I hear about 18 people living in a three-bedroom unit. This is an all-too-common story from Nunavut. Will the government commit to making sure that the wealthy pay their fair share so my constituents do not have to continue to live in deplorable conditions that help prevent real reconciliation?
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The extent of indigenous language loss is evidence of the deep impacts of colonialism. It is an essential and basic part of reconciliation to preserve first nations, Inuit and Métis languages. The Indigenous Languages Act was passed three years ago by the Liberal government, yet little to no action has been taken. Words mean nothing without action. What will the minister …
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. According to Indigenous Services Canada, as of yesterday, March 23, the data recorded for COVID-19 for first nations on reserves was 93,154 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 2,384 active cases, 3,068 hospitalizations due to COVID-19, 90,084 recovered cases and 686 deaths due to COVID-19. With these kinds of statistics still in existence, does the member believe that the COVID-…
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