Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, when Grassy Narrows submitted more changes to the funding request, as required by the department, it waited eight months for an answer. The Minister of Indigenous Services met with Chief Turtle in May and approved the project. She said that everything was ready to go, but the government needed to get the funds from Treasury Board. She said that Grassy Narrows would see the funds by Se…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, in Grassy Narrows, the effects of mercury poisoning can be traced to 1970, more than 50 years ago. The Liberal government committed in 2017 to build and operate a mercury care home. Six years later, the ground has yet to be broken for this facility. I asked the Prime Minister in June when the suffering from the effects of mercury poisoning would end. He said that the situation “has go…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I see that amendments were made to the ICA by the committee. An amendment was made to clause 19, which would expand transparency and disclosure by the minister regarding reviews and orders that are issued. The minister would be required to report on those reviews. I wonder whether the member could share her thoughts on whether this is sufficient to make sure that her concerns are bein…
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Uqaqtittiji. I can see some work has been done on this legislation and that there were amendments made at committee. I see an amendment to clause 7 regarding the review of proposed investments to be made by a foreign entity, and I see that this review would only happen as long as the minister had recommended it to the Governor in Council. I wonder if the member agrees and if he could share with us…
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Uqaqtittiji, understanding that in deciding to invest in Canada, there has to be a balance between what will generate prosperity in Canada and protecting national security, I wonder whether the member can comment on whether she thinks this bill would balance more toward the prosperity of Canada or more toward national security.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, I am thoroughly disgusted by this debate. I know that Nunavummiut are as well. Inuit from northern Quebec were forcefully lied to. They were made to go from northern Quebec all the way up to the high Arctic in Grise Fiord and Resolute. They are called the high Arctic exiles. This was done in the name of Arctic sovereignty and Arctic security. This report is very important to us. For t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, the indigenous and northern affairs committee also had a study on the Canadian Rangers. I am glad to see that there were also discussions about the Canadian Rangers in the report. It is great that it heard a witness from my riding, Calvin Pedersen, who is a fourth-generation Canadian Ranger. I could also see in the report that some of the same issues that were addressed at our committ…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, the Liberals continue to ignore the NDP's call to reform nutrition north. Last month, the minister made an announcement that did not make any reforms and only gave support to a tiny fraction of hunters and food-sharing initiatives. Continuing to subsidize for-profit companies is not reform. When will the government stop equating a few thousands of dollars in supports to hunters with t…
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Uqaqtittiji, one thing I have noticed about this draft is that there is a chapter on trade regarding indigenous peoples. I really like that there is a chapter to make sure that there are some activities regarding economic development in free trade. If I understand it correctly, this is the first time that there has been a chapter like this in a free trade agreement. Does the member agree that, for…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Uqaqtittiji, I did my undergrad at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and I know there was a wonderful Polish community there. I wonder if the member could respond to what would happen if this motion was not passed.
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Uqaqtittiji, Nunavut relies completely on diesel for energy for home heating and for everything, basically. All of its oil and gas is from the south; we do not have any that we extract on our own. Therefore, when we get that oil and gas, it is from companies in Canada. Canada's five biggest oil and gas companies made $38.3 billion in combined profits last year alone. Does the member agree that the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, the cost of living is creating a crisis in northern communities, and the Liberals are making it worse. Federal employees rely on a subsidy to help them with their housing expenses, and the Liberals are trying to cut that subsidy, a move that would cost workers between $6,000 and $8,500 a year. This would force people out of their homes and cut services that northerners rely on. Will t…
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Uqaqtittiji, I am going to ask the member a question similar to the one I asked the member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies. When I asked him the question, rather than responding to it, he resorted to mudslinging against me and using my constituents against me. While indigenous peoples are doing what they can to protect our assets, we are being violated. Indigenous women are being vi…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for his interest in the north and the Arctic. I am not sure how genuine it actually is. With respect to this act, the Investment Canada Act, when it comes to ensuring we are doing better at protecting individuals and the land, a lot of what we have to do in these pieces of legislation is prevent the acquisition of certain things. For example, in Nunavu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, in Nunavut, one bottle of orange juice is $24 and one can of chicken soup is $10. Nutrition north is subsidizing corporate greed. It is not lowering grocery prices. Last weekend, the NDP leader and I heard from Nunavummiut. They said they can barely make ends meet. Meanwhile, the North West Company continues to report sky-high profits. When will the Liberals introduce an excess profit…
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Uqaqtittiji, when oppressed people have been led to poverty and have been suppressed for generations, the options they have become fewer. The industry and the mining companies provide an option that looks attractive because governments are failing indigenous peoples. When indigenous peoples are saying they support it, it is because it is the only option left. I thank the Wet'suwet'en who continue …
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Uqaqtittiji, solidarity is so important, and in a party system, it is very hard to see solidarity. I do feel the sense of solidarity the member has shared with me, and I think we all need to talk about solidarity more often when it comes to discussing indigenous people's rights. I started off my conversation about intergenerational love and how we lived with it since time immemorial. Since 1867, a…
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Uqaqtittiji, being Inuk, I have grown up in a colonial system, and people do not understand that a lot of the time. All I have to say to better describe it is that my dad committed suicide. I was raised in the foster care system. I have too many families that I have to thank for helping raise me to be who I am. The unfortunate truth about my story is that it is a common story of indigenous peoples…
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Uqaqtittiji, indeed, nation-to-nation conversations are absolutely important. When it comes to recognizing the right to self-determination and implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we must show through our actions what reconciliation actually means. That also means including the use of indigenous legal orders. I hope that, through our conversations, we wi…
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Uqaqtittiji, when it comes to the confidence and supply agreement, we have discussed, very clearly, what the conditions are. In terms of indigenous issues, we have been clear about what we need to do, so there would be no surprises. I shadow the Minister of Indigenous Services, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and the Minister of Northern Affairs. I continue to work with the ministers th…
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Uqaqtittiji, before the Indian Act, first nations, Métis and Inuit thrived and passed on intergenerational love from generation to generation. The Indian Act is an attempt to erase indigenous peoples from the lands we now call Canada. Bill C-38 is about status. It could have been about addressing discrimination to the fullest extent. I struggle to support Bill C-38, an act to amend the Indian Act.…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, first nations, for decades, have screamed about the deplorable conditions they live in. Statistics Canada now confirms that the Liberal government failed to make any progress since 2016. Under the Liberals, indigenous peoples have no choice but to live in unsafe, overcrowded and mould-infested homes. The $4 billion over seven years toward urban, rural and northern housing is not enoug…
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Uqaqtittiji, I am going to ask the hon. member a similar question that I asked another Liberal MP previously. Nunavut continues to be excluded from so many investments. The Liberal government has an opportunity to support sustainable development in Nunavut. As I mentioned earlier, Nunavut relies on diesel in all 25 of its communities. There has been great work to make sure we can help transition t…
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Uqaqtittiji, yet again the NDP had to use its power to even get this bill in the House. Different regions have different needs, and I hope the member understands that. I have spoken to the importance of the need for the Kivalliq hydro-fibre link project to be supported, which would help Nunavut in the switch to the use of sustainable energy. Currently, Nunavut relies on diesel. All of Nunavut's co…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Uqaqtittiji, despite the harsh colonial and genocidal policies my mom was forced to endure, she had the strength to have faith and to teach me about love and forgiveness, as many indigenous people have done. I am comforted in knowing that my mom is finally at peace. If she had had access to great programs like those provided by Dechinta, I think she would have worked harder to stop intergeneration…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, the Conservatives say that this motion is to help address housing so Canadians do not lose their homes. I do not think it is a great solution, but the Liberals have not done so well either. I am glad she did not include URN on her list of investments that government has done, because URN does not do enough. There are still gaps in investments that need to happen. One of those gaps is …
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Uqaqtittiji, I completely understand what my colleague says when he says not to take this motion at face value, because Conservatives have a history of making it seem like they want to help but they do not. I have a specific example. When the Conservatives were in government in 2010, they made cuts to two things that were very important to indigenous peoples: funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foun…
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Uqaqtittiji, I really appreciate the member's intervention. I am so glad that he focused on subsidies to major for-profit corporations. That is something that Nunavummiut northern residents have a major issue with. As an example, the federal government, in 2022, between July and September, subsidized southern non-indigenous, for-profit corporations in the amount of $30 million. In three months, $3…
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Uqaqtittiji, the infrastructure gap for first nations, Inuit and Métis communities is estimated at over $300 billion. That is almost more than the entirety of the federal government's annual budget. Recently, the Prime Minister announced that he would ask all ministries to make cuts in their budgets, and this is a huge concern for indigenous services being delivered for indigenous peoples. I wonde…
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for her very informative intervention. I wonder if the member agrees, based on the information that she has shared with us, that a good portion of the discussion at committee will need to be to seek clarity for creating stronger provisions for marine protected areas.
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Uqaqtittiji, what I appreciate about the bill is that it would impact or create opportunities for marine infrastructure, creating jobs and a transition toward renewable energy. I heard a lot of concerns about balance needed in this bill. I wonder if the member would agree that included in this bill there needs to be clarity in marine protected areas so we can make sure the fishers are protected.
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to note that the member's party does not do a really great job with its promises for reconciliation. I am glad to see that this legislation talks about engaging indigenous peoples. This is great to see in this bill. One concern I do have is its terrible record of engaging or not engaging indigenous peoples, including recognizing collectives of peoples as indigenous when t…
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Uqaqtittiji, I have heard time and time again from the Conservative Party that it is interested in lowering prices for Canadians. This bill is a great opportunity to help lower prices by ensuring that we support the use of renewable energy. Not only would there be a better use of renewable energy, but it would also create employment. Is the Conservative Party interested in supporting the creation …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, that was a disappointing response. I will turn to a question on the searches that have uncovered hundreds of graves of children at former residential schools across the country. As communities grieve, they are looking for answers. Due to a lack of clarity from all levels of government, these families cannot access the records they deserve. Even the government's special interlocutor is…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank three Inuit for inspiring my speech. Bernadette Miqqusaaq Dean is an artist. I met her before she pursued her artistic talents, and I have always admired her for her strength. Annie Curley blends her comedic sense of humour with teachings she learned as an Inuk and with bird sounds that she imitates in her crafts. Ashton Kablutsiaq is my son's cousin. I recently …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for his response. I did have the pleasure of travelling with him when he was part of the indigenous and northern affairs committee, and know that he has direct experience with the challenges of travelling in my region. Another example of what it is like to fly in Nunavut is that one of my constituents was on a routine flight from Iqalu…
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Uqaqtittiji, the cost of flights in Nunavut is astronomical. All 25 communities that I represent are fly-in communities. A flight to Ottawa can cost over $5,000. It costs more to fly within our own country than it does to destinations such as Mexico, London or Nuuk. Most of my constituents cannot choose to take vacations, because it is simply not affordable. There are no other options. Flying is a…
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Uqaqtittiji, today being the national day of action for MMIWG, we know all too well that indigenous women, girls and two-spirit victims who have been taken or murdered do not get to tell their stories. When the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights supported the NDP's proposal to make a recommendation allowing victims the right to opt out of a publication ban, this was an important way to…
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Uqaqtittiji, I only had a chance to look at our House notes and not the bill specifically, so I am not understanding the bulk of what the member spoke about on AI and consent, and why it is not mentioned or has not been discussed during the debate so far. I do see that Bill S-12 talks about discretion being given to judges for those who are at risk of reoffending. Could the member speak more to wh…
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Uqaqtittiji, I agree with the member that protecting victims is so important, and judges' discretion is not to be taken lightly. I wonder if the member can share more ideas on how we can ensure that judges' discretion is not too wide, so that we are ensuring a proper way to make sure that there are better protections for victims for public safety.
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Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank the member for her intervention. I would be remiss to not acknowledge the great work that the member for Victoria did in addressing some of the issues in this bill. Does the member agree that Bill S-12 balances the constitutional guaranteed rights of all Canadians and the need to maintain public safety?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, homes are supposed to be where dreams are cultivated. For Inuit and indigenous peoples, homes are overcrowded, mouldy spaces where dreams vanish. Children have no space to do homework. Women have no space to flee abusive partners. Inuit and indigenous peoples have little to no space to take care of their mental well-being. This is the result of decades of Liberal and Conservative unde…
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Uqaqtittiji, I noticed some gaps in the bill. A major one is the lack of acknowledgement of the impact of climate change. The Northwest Passage is opening up and ports in the Arctic are going to become more necessary. I wonder if the member agrees that, when the bill does get to committee, witnesses will need to be called from the Arctic to talk about the importance of ports in the Arctic.
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Uqaqtittiji, I have heard both the Minister of Northern Affairs and other Liberal members of Parliament speak to this bill. Unfortunately, what I have not heard from them is the impacts of climate change on the opening of the Northwest Passage and how that could deeply impact the opening of communities in my region in the Arctic. I am saddened to see that the bill does not have more about ensuring…
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Uqaqtittiji, there was a portion of the member's intervention where she described Nunavut to a tee. Because of the lack of investments that have been made in Nunavut, our economic opportunities have been well below the rest of Canada. Ports are an important opportunity for Nunavummiut to be part of generating and contributing to Canada's economy. With climate change, we have seen the Northwest Pas…
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Uqaqtittiji, meeting with those agencies does not equal action. Why do we still end up in landfills? The government's response to the MMIWG2S+ crisis is not enough. The NDP is working with families, survivors and advocates to push for a red dress alert, because should we go missing, we must be found. When will the government stop stalling and implement a red dress alert system to save lives?
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Uqaqtittiji, this summer we saw the ravages of climate change. We are in a climate crisis, not just in Canada but all over the world. I wonder if the member agrees that Bill C-49 needs to pass because it would create more opportunities for the east coast to use renewable energy, and that we need to act now.
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Uqaqtittiji, this summer we saw the ravages of the impacts of climate change. They were quite devastating, not just in Canada but all over the world. This means that we need to start acting now; I think this is why the NDP supports Bill C-49. It is not that we are propping up the Liberal government on this bill; rather, we have our own sets of priorities, such as combatting the climate crisis. Cou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Uqaqtittiji, too many northern communities saw little to no housing projects or repairs this summer. Too many Nunavummiut are being denied their right to a home. When I visited Baker Lake this summer, I saw housing conditions well below acceptable standards. Last year, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated submitted a joint budget request to build more homes. They are still …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Uqaqtittiji, I would like to welcome everyone back after the summer to a new session. I thank the member for his great presentation. One thing I am always asking people to be considerate about is indigenous issues. We all know that there are increased numbers of indigenous offenders. Can the member describe how this bill would not increase barriers around access to justice for indigenous peoples?
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