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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, 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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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 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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[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, 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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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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Mr. Chair, does the minister know how many banks are operated in Nunavut?
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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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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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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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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, 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, 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, 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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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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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 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, 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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