Government Orders
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Health measures are being lifted by provinces. Many first nations, Métis and Inuit communities continue to say they lack basic health care and infrastructure. This is dangerous, especially for elders. Does the minister agree that increased financial investments and infrastructure must be provided for indigenous health?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Nunavut's chief public health officer has stated that they will be cautious in lifting these measures. These changes in public health rules do not mean that COVID-19 is gone, but rather that we must live with COVID-19. Does the hon. member agree that measures to protect vulnerable communities remain a priority and increased investments on current commitments are necessary…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. On this day, World Tuberculosis Day, I rise to ask a question about housing. An MLA for Nunavut has identified that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 new housing units are urgently needed for people living in my territory. However, the government's housing announcement in Nunavut a couple of weeks ago included just 101 new units. What rationale does the federal government have…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Firstly, I am finding it fascinating how the Conservative agenda is touting the protection of global interests to a transition to non-emitting sources of energy in its motion. While I agree that we all need to address the climate crisis, this is not one of the ways to do it. Secondly, I agree to some extent with the Conservatives that Ukraine is not the only nation facing…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. According to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, about 1.45 million people are still internally displaced after fleeing the conflict in Donbass and occupied Crimea. Save the Children states that children in eastern Ukraine have grown up in conflict for the past eight years, enduring violence, shelling and displacement from their homes. Even before this latest escala…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I am shocked with many elements raised in this debate. This motion is like a wolf in a sheep's coat. For the Conservatives to tout energy policy as foreign policy in the face of the humanitarian crisis in the Ukraine is deplorable. I appreciate the need to have long-term strategies; however, we must do so with the same spirit and courage as the Ukrainian president, Volody…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Jonquière. To some extent, I agree with the Bloc regarding its nationhood. It is not lost on me that the Bloc is arguing this as settlers, whereupon Inuit and first nations have lived and thrived since time immemorial. I agree that linguistic and cultural criteria should be of paramount importance to the electoral redistribution process. I must ask…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I represent 25 remote fly-in communities, 25 communities with mayors, 25 communities with airports and 25 communities with any number of schools, including a French school in Iqaluit. The land mass of my riding extends from Alberta to Quebec. The discussion on seat distribution is of particular interest to me, and I realize the member thinks that the timing is not the bes…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The Nunavut Film Development Corporation noted an array of challenges to Nunavut's competitiveness in the industry, such as an absence of tax credits, bandwidth challenges, limited program budgets and expensive production in the north. Can the member speak to how the amendments in Bill C-11 can redress such challenges to better support Inuit, first nations and Métis cultu…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. For many years our broadcasters and cultural workers have been losing revenue and suffering from unfair competition from web giants. That is why the NDP sees this bill as a good first step to levelling the playing field and making the web giants pay their fair share. Does the MP intend to put an end to this injustice or, rather, protect the profits of the web giants?
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The Conservatives have made it clear that they are good friends with our American neighbours and have referenced the importance of Canadian content as well. Does the member agree that Canadian content, such as “the medium is the message”, is a value to be protected, or is this more about allowing American sensationalism, such as “make America great again”, instead?
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, that was an important question. I know, having had whole generations of my people be suppressed and oppressed for years, with their voices lost or prevented from being heard, that there are many Canadians who feel their voices have not been heard. I can understand why they want to be heard now, but there are ways that they can be heard, lawful ways that they can be heard. They can s…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to ask the member if he has reviewed the emergency measures regulations, paragraphs 1(a) to 1(f), if he has looked at the places that are to be protected and if he has not seen the dangers that have been placed in those places.
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. In my previous question, I asked the member for Oxford, who also happens to be on the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, if he had read the emergency measures regulations, to which he said that he had not. Could the member confirm whether the places listed in subsections 1(a) to 1(f) of the regulations, such as airports and international bridges, ha…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I will be splitting my time with the member for North Island—Powell River. During this debate, I experienced Ikiaqurmijaarniq. I spoke so much from the depth of my heart that my throat and voice were shaking. I am sincerely concerned about the risks and safety of Nunavummiut and Canadians, especially with the downplaying of what happened in the last three weeks and especi…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I am in support because I feel it is very important that we must continue to protect our democracy. I sincerely feel that our democracy is under threat. We have seen this through the media, through social media and through the comments that have been made in the House. I have seen the foreign interference that has infiltrated the minds of Canadians. Qujannamiik.
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Yesterday there was news that demonstrators met in locations in Vancouver and Chilliwack and at the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey, B.C., which was closed and required reopening because of the demonstrators. Would you agree that this is evidence of foreign interference and requires national oversight from us as parliamentarians?
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. This is more than just about the Prime Minister for me. This is about protecting our democracy. That is what we need to be voting on. We have to make sure that residents like the people in the riding of the member for Windsor West continue to be protected. We keep hearing they are still feeling the impacts of the extremist views that have penetrated our Canadian democracy…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Some have tried to hide the influence that foreign extremists had in the illegal blockade and what they might continue to have. It is also great to start seeing Ottawans walking the streets in joy and with freedom from fear from the so-called freedom convoy. It is great to see them wearing their masks and enjoying the normally beautiful downtown core. Can the member say w…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Madam Speaker, change is never easy. I hear Canadians having a difficult time adjusting to a new life by taking extra care when they go shopping or eat at a restaurant, but these are measures that we need to take to protect those who cannot get vaccinated. Does this prevent everyday Canadians from living their daily lives?
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to thank the member for New Brunswick Southwest. I have been thoroughly disgusted that the Conservatives continue to minimize the extremism that has been allowed to grow in all of Canada. I have seen the effects of these extremist messages reach my home community of Iqaluit. Iqaluit has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Nunavut, albeit about 70%. These e…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. This is not just about the Prime Minister's failures. It is about a lot more. It is not just about peaceful disobedience. Questions have been raised about whether other tools could have been used instead of the Emergencies Act. I want to remind the member that in Ottawa there was a court-ordered injunction. Well, these extremists complied for a short term but then proceed…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Madam Speaker, this morning, I was relieved to see how the physical entrenchment of the extremists' acts were dismantled in Ottawa, though I was dismayed to see the extremists' ideologies expand to Surrey, British Columbia, as we were shown in the news this morning that protests against important public health measures were going on. Even with the physical entrenchment th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Uqaqtittiji, many Canadians are struggling to get beyond the party politics, because it is mainly party politics that are being debated throughout this House. It is in part due to the effectiveness of the extremist ideologies that have infiltrated their minds, causing them to fear the Emergencies Act. Can the member explain to Canadians how their civil liberties are not being violated in this Emer…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I agree that we need to see a way out of the pandemic. I agree that we are in need of hope. Inuit, Métis and first nations were given hope by the former prime minister, Stephen Harper, when he gave an apology to former students of residential schools in 2008. That same government, the Conservatives, made cuts to important initiatives like the Aboriginal Healing Foundation…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. Since the Emergencies Act was declared last week and used this weekend, it has been with reluctance I have participated in this debate. I have done so with my heart and my mind open. I am deeply concerned with the threat to our democracy based on the demonstrations of anti-Semitism and hate we have seen within our immediate vicinity and across Canada. Does the member agre…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. As an Inuk and indigenous person, I have inherent mistrust in law enforcement. I have seen all too often how law enforcement treats my community, indigenous people and people of colour. All too often we have been at the wrong end of the law. Law enforcement arbitrarily targets my communities. My NDP colleagues and I have weighed very heavily the measures allowed in the Em…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The ideologies associated with these extremists and the symbols we have seen waving through the blockade are dangerous. This has been well organized by leaders of extremist groups. Arrests that started yesterday continue today. We still see the extremists rooted on Wellington Street. The leaders of the extremist groups must be held accountable for their actions with the f…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Uqaqtittiji, is this a national issue? Yes. We have heard the Conservatives and Bloc attempt to downplay what has led to today. The people outside are not just truckers, and they are not just parking. This is extremism. This is a national emergency. We have seen violent extremist ideologies from the United States infiltrate Canadians. This morning, we heard Conservatives mention that Donald Trump …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. We know how quickly extremist behaviour and ideologies can spread. With the sheer volume of this demonstration, I am genuinely concerned that racism will grow, entrench and allow widespread violence to ensue. This extremism is dangerous and must be dealt with urgently. I am not sure if the member heard the news last night, but the interim Ottawa police chief, Steve Bell, …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. The Conservative messaging has been fuelling misinformation and has minimized clearly over-violent acts. The fact that they used the terrible examples of history, such as victims of the Holocaust, as a sword is deplorable. Misinformation of this magnitude leads to growing hatred and violence toward our communities, and it is wreaking havoc without consequence. Can the mem…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Uqaqtittiji, the Conservatives have been spreading their rhetoric that this is a protest of unity, peace and freedom over fear, incited by foreign extremists. They did so while standing with people who bore Confederate flags and swastikas and terrorized women and indigenous people. This is not unity; this is not peace; this is not freedom. This is violence, violence that threatens the safety and d…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I want to thank the member for Don Valley West. I also want to thank the parliamentary staff, who have been doing an extraordinary job. I have described the leaders of the so-called “freedom convoy” as extremists. I am being asked by my constituents in Nunavut what extremists I am talking about. Could the member describe those who have led the illegal blockades and tell u…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to thank the member for La Prairie for his very entertaining statement and for talking about leadership. I would like to ask about the Conservatives' attempt to minimize these extremist activities. I would also like to highlight that there was news that law enforcement had intercepted a new convoy heading to the Ambassador Bridge recently. Does the member agr…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to thank the member for Calgary Nose Hill for her statement. Yesterday we heard from the member opposite that the Emergencies Act was not needed to settle the rail blockades of 2020, the Oka crisis or the crisis at Caledonia, but these are not comparable to today's realities. The Emergencies Act is a drastic measure for the sole purpose of protecting our safe…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I would like to thank the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells for his statement. The Conservatives seem to be attempting to use the chamber as a vacuum. Listening to them downplay what is going on is such a great concern. Without the benefit of the news and the social media, people could be persuaded that this is not a serious national issue. What can the member say to those …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I am feeling quite compelled to compare this debate to when COVID-19 was first announced in November 2019, and how long it took before lockdowns were instituted. Lockdowns were not instituted until April 2020, and that would have been about six full months after the first case. We keep hearing the Conservatives say that Canadians are being alienated and they cannot be any…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I am very concerned about the extremist ideologies spreading across Canada. I have seen threats from as far as New Brunswick. Is it not important to prevent further support of these extremist views from taking root in the rest of Canada?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Qujannamiik Uqaqtittiji. The member has made a powerful statement. First Nations Health Authority in British Columbia has shown that indigenous people are five times more likely to experience an overdose and three times more likely to die than other residents. This demonstrates that Canada's colonial efforts to “take the Indian out of the child” continue to have impacts on the mental health of Inu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, when former prime minister Stephen Harper made his apology for residential schools in 2008, the Conservatives acknowledged the importance of moving toward reconciliation with Inuit first nations and Métis. The Health Canada expert task force on substance use also recommends “respecting the sovereign rights of indigenous peoples in Canada to support their governments and provide approp…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. This “freedom convoy” exposes the injustice that first nations, Métis, Inuit and people of colour experience in Canada. The convoy has the freedom to demonstrate unrestricted violence, mainly without punishment. On the other hand, indigenous peoples live in fear of reprisal for protecting indigenous lands, as they are met with violence by law enforcement. The CGL pipeline…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I want to thank the member for acknowledging that the NDP have a great leader in our member for Burnaby South. Unfortunately, I cannot share the same sense of acknowledgement for the Liberal leadership. The Liberal government has shown a history of either inaction or responding to issues too slowly, some of which include its promises to address indigenous housing and to f…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I want to thank the member for his comments. I just need to express that I disagree that a Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian. The extremist activities have shown that this is not the fact and this is not the case. Law enforcement has reacted very differently to this extremist activity compared to how law enforcement reacts to first nations, Métis and Inuit who have def…
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Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji, and qujannamiik to the member from northern Ontario. I am glad to say that I am from a more northern territory, and that the information the member has shared is drastically worse in the north. According to a 2017 statistic, 76% of Inuit over the age of 15 from all over the north suffer from food insecurity. Having said that, many of the other statistics show that there i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji. I want to thank the member for talking about the arts. I also want to let her know that Nunavut is the only jurisdiction that has no performing arts centre at all in any of its communities. I hope she will take that into consideration for any future work with respect to supporting the arts in Nunavut. As well, as she was talking about the fall economic statement, I want t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations' statement on October 26, 2021, that "[...] it's time to give land back" to Indigenous people: (a) what land is the Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations referring to; (b) for each response in (a), which First Nation, Inuit, or Metis group does the minister believe the land should be given back to; (c) if applicable, when will the land in …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canada School of Public Service, broken down by department: (a) how many government employees, by unit and percentage of total employees, have completed the Indigenous Learning Series, as of June 10, 2021; (b) is participation in the Indigenous Learning Series mandatory; (c) are new employees expected to complete any part of the Indigenous Learning Series as part of their traini…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to government investments in long-term care and home care in Nunavut, broken down by year since 2015: (a) how much funding has been promised to Nunavut for the purpose of home and community care services; (b) of the funding in (a), how much of that funding has been delivered; (c) how much funding has been delivered towards the implementation of the international Resident Assessment Ins…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to congratulate the member on his election. There have been two great reports: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report and the MMIWG report. Both of them make a call to address mandatory minimums. Why is the government only taking a half step toward reducing the overrepresentation of indigenous, Black and other racialized Canadians in the criminal justice system?
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Uqaqtittiji, I have been concerned today hearing the Conservatives' view about their labelling criminals, and criminals being criminals. I do not think criminals are born criminals. They become criminals because of the system in which they live. Does the member recognize that criminal records for personal possession of drugs is a significant barrier to employment and housing? Both are necessary fo…
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