Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member's question is an important one, not only for all the survivors and families that were sent to this hideous institution but also for the communities that are going through a lot of pain and trauma trying to come to grips with that grim reality. This continues to shock the conscience of Canadians. I have spoken to Chief Councillor Ken Watts on a number of occasions and have v…
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Mr. Speaker, I will note at the outset that I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Sydney—Victoria. Kwe, ullukkut, tansi, hello and bonjour. I will also acknowledge this debate is taking place on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people as we acknowledge the horrific and devastating murder of four indigenous women in Winnipeg. This is a week where the expression “bein…
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Mr. Speaker, in this context, independent oversight is absolutely key. I welcome the House's support of Bill C-29 to create a national council for reconciliation, which would be able to monitor, in particular, the TRC calls to action. The government is also open to appointing an ombudsperson, in the right context, to monitor specifically the calls for justice from the final report on missing and m…
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Mr. Speaker, I should have clarified my thought. We are supportive of putting in place call for justice 1.7, which does call for an ombudsperson. We need that engagement to occur so that it is done in the proper procedural way. This is something the government is open to and will be moving on. As for the calls that we have heard from the families, I would have to see what exactly is being called f…
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Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult to answer this in a short time, but clearly what the final report said is that structural and generational elements have put women in the vulnerable situation they find themselves in today. The member opposite mentioned land, extractive activities, the reform of child and family services and education as contributing factors that put women in this vulnerable situa…
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Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to the families of the victims. It is not on a day like this that we can sit here and pat ourselves on the back about what we have been doing as a government. Obviously, it has not been enough. It is very puzzling to hear the news that this landfill will not be searched. I spoke to the mayor of Winnipeg yesterday about this and hope to get some clear answers shortly.…
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Mr. Speaker, extremism of the nature described by the member opposite is one of the biggest terrorist threats in this country, and it continues to prey on those who are most vulnerable, including indigenous women, children, girls and LGBTQ folks across the country. We need a comprehensive federal response. We need a comprehensive provincial response. We need a comprehensive municipal response. It …
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moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in.
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moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. Mr. Speaker, kwe, kwe. Ullukkut. Tansi. Hello. Bonjour. First, before I begin the more formal parts of my speech, I want to acknowledge that we are on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. At this time, I would also like to seek unanimous consent of the House to split my time with the member for Sydney—Victoria.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to begin third reading debate on Bill C-29, an act that would provide the establishment of a national council for reconciliation. First, I would like to thank my colleagues from all parties in the House who supported this bill and expressed their comments and concerns about the bill at second reading. We heard their input. Many of these comments were taken up in commi…
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Mr. Speaker, it is incumbent on all of the board members to fight precisely what the member opposite is highlighting. There are a number of difficult choices that we have to make when the committee appoints members. We are within a structure that has been imposed on indigenous people, so there is an inherent contradiction in sitting here, appointing board members and deciding who goes on what boar…
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Mr. Speaker, it is precisely this type of commission that will allow us to make sure we are focused on survivors and their families. It is not lost on anyone that the vast composition of the House is non-indigenous. We sometimes superimpose our own views of what we think is good or not good for indigenous peoples. Having a commission like that to remind us, particularly in the wake of the last yea…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the committee has a duty to adhere to calls to action 53 to 56. The Prime Minister will report on reconciliation every year. Certainly, let us talk about the tragic story of residential schools. As my colleagues from the NDP and the Bloc Québécois have said, it will be very important to continue to focus on the survivors and their families, and the traumatic legacy that contin…
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Mr. Speaker, this should not be about me or anyone else in the House of Commons. At this point, there are a lot of survivors, particularly the survivors of St. Anne's, who are hurting in light of the judgment of the Supreme Court. I have asked my department to re-examine 11 of the cases, particularly sensitive student-on-student cases. We will be approaching the court monitor to re-examine those c…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned two days ago, 91 projects are under way in communities, to a total of about $100 million. The vast majority of people who have applied to our department have been funded for the first two years of their projects. We will be with them for the complete trajectory of where they will need to do searches, which may be well over five to 10 years. It is something that we will …
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Mr. Speaker, reconciliation is not easy. It is neither linear nor free, but we are determined to right past wrongs and address their impact on indigenous peoples, an impact that is still felt today. Tomorrow, we encourage all Canadians to reflect, to listen and to show compassion for indigenous voices. Tomorrow is a day for residential school survivors and indigenous communities and leaders to hav…
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Mr. Speaker, as an update for the House, I think folks would appreciate knowing that there are about 91 communities that have now received funding to do searches on their own time, at their own pace. It is something we obviously have to respect as a government. If the member opposite has a community in mind that needs to be brought to my attention, I would ask her to please do so. I will ensure th…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his important question about the national council for reconciliation. Today we are set to begin second reading of Bill C‑29, a bill that will establish an independent, permanent and non-political council to monitor long-term progress on reconciliation and implement the commission's 94 calls to action. Bill C‑29 fulfills calls to action 53 to 56. I urge all parli…
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moved that Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, there have been consultations among the parties, and I am hopeful that you will find unanimous consent to allow my colleague, the member for Sydney—Victoria, to share my debate time today.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge, before I begin, that we are speaking here today on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. As we begin the second reading debate on Bill C-29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, I think it is important to highlight that since locating unmarked graves at former residential schools a year…
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Establishing an independent, non-political council is crucial to holding the government to account. The government has had the unfortunate habit of saying that 80% of the calls to action had been honoured or were being honoured. However, it was not necessarily subject to review, and other entities were saying that the government had only honoured two or three. In the future, there will be an offic…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to note that this bill actually responds to calls to action 53 to 55. Obviously, call 56 would follow after the establishment and passing of this law. Clearly, this is a comment the member opposite is free to put through at committee so the committee can study it and give it due consideration. I think all of us are responsible to answer for the calls to action,…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question being posed by the member opposite, and I think it is important for this House to consider the work that has been done by the interim board in doing broader outreach as Bill C-29 was put forward. That was the task given to the interim board, and it included a broad swath of indigenous representation. I have a list of specifically notable people who were c…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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moved for leave to introduce Bill S-10, An Act to give effect to the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement, to amend the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act and the Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts. (Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)
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Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement.
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Mr. Speaker, I did more than want to rise. I did rise. If I used unparliamentary language, I am glad to apologize. What I did say to the member opposite is that if he wants to call me out in the House of Commons, he can at least have the decency to come see me before that. There are plenty of opportunities. If we are going to have a debate on the substance of this, Mr. Speaker, I think you should …
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Mr. Speaker, since 1910, the Siksika Nation has been deprived of half of its lands and its fair share of the resources on those lands. Its claim is one of the largest in the country, and the community has waited over 112 years for Canada to address this historic injustice. That is why, today, we are celebrating the signing of a $1.3-billion land claim settlement with the Siksika Nation. This settl…
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Mr. Speaker, clearly, as a country, we continue to fail indigenous women, children and LGBTQ people. The one-year anniversary is not something to look back on, despite our investments of billions of dollars into addressing this national strategy, and pat ourselves on the back; this is something we have to address as an entirety in society. Whether it is us, the provinces or cities, we all have our…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday's news is indeed part of the ongoing tragedy in this country of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. The funding in the announcement of last week will create the infrastructure necessary to operate a facility that will be welcoming for people who are in distress. As to the member opposite's current request, which is one of many, it is clearly one that needs prior…
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Mr. Speaker, as part of this comprehensive approach to supporting communities as they reel from the ongoing discoveries of unmarked graves, clearly what they have asked of us is to have a concerted approach, whether it is from me, the Minister of Indigenous Services or other departments, or whether they need supports now or for the next 10 years. This is something that, sadly, will go on for some …
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Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite's point, clearly what we have seen in this country is a pattern of dispossession that has continued to retraumatize and traumatize communities, and the constant denial of this reality is what characterizes today's discourse as well. We have a duty, as a society, to keep opening our minds and being more respectful, and to show compassion to communities that are r…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to designate Thursday, June 2, for the debate to be held pursuant to Standing Order 51.
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Mr. Speaker, I would highlight the fact that since the discoveries in Kamloops, the first anniversary of which is upcoming, this government has deployed over half a billion dollars to assist communities with this very painful step of deciding whether to go and search for lost ones. Not every community will work at the same pace. There are about 70 applications that are still in and fully funded, a…
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Mr. Speaker, I first want to correct my colleague's comment that I am responsible for the first nations. I serve the first nations. In reply to the question, the member opposite is quite right. It is unfair that communities that were previously in rural areas but now are not because of urban sprawl are penalized because of prices linked to postal codes. Let us hope that Canada Post, which is an in…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for her passion and the words she shared with us, yesterday and today, with respect to murdered and missing indigenous women. It is a tragedy that sadly is ongoing in this country and has only been exacerbated by the pandemic. The monies we have announced in the last and present budgetary cycles are directly targeted to a systemic approach to reduci…
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Mr. Speaker, the pain and loss felt by families and survivors of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and the lack of safety felt today, are tragedies that are ongoing and have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Indigenous women and girls have the right to be and feel safe anywhere in this country. Tragically, this is not the case today. This can only be achieved by continued inves…
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moved: That this committee take note of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Madam Chair, kwe, kwe. Unnusakkut. Tansi. Hello. Bonjour. I want to start by acknowledging that Canada's Parliament is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I will be splitting my time with the member for Nunavut. The tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous wom…
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Madam Chair, I want to take a moment to thank the member opposite for his advocacy. I know that his interest, compassion and advocacy are genuine. It did take time to come out with a federal pathway. This is something that has been informed by survivors who are going through an awful time that has only been magnified through a world pandemic. When it comes to the steps that have been accomplished,…
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Madam Chair, I want to acknowledge that the riding the member opposite represents, as she knows well, is part of the epicentre of the tragedy. Her advocacy is key in making sure that this tragedy ceases to continue and in fact ends. We all know, sadly, that it will not end tomorrow. However, investments that we have made, particularly in her riding for the Ka Ni Kanichihk, for example, very recent…
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Madam Chair, that is an excellent question. It will be hard to keep my comments on this matter brief. However, we know that violence increased when communities entered lockdown. This phenomenon was observed in communities and in major centres. We will obviously build on the investments we have made in housing. Take, for example, the key investment we made in Pauktuuit. We invested tens of millions…
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Mr. Chair, first we need to acknowledge that no single budgetary cycle can address this tragedy adequately. There will have to be sustained investments. We also have to acknowledge that in every budget, survivors and families should recognize the investments as responding specifically to this tragedy. If there is a criticism to be levelled on the budget, it is that while there are investments from…
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Mr. Chair, I want to thank the member opposite for the words that she has shared tonight and for her continued advocacy, both on the floor of the House of Commons and outside. I want her to know that we are continuing to accelerate the work the we are doing based, in part, on her advocacy and the work we need to do as a country and as a government. I want to talk about the issue of forced steriliz…
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Madam Speaker, clearly, we have heard that communities, pursuant to the calls to action 72 through 76 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report, have to have the leadership. It is not the place of the Government of Canada to step into communities and provide all the answers. Certainly we have to stand by and provide the financing and support to those communities, which are still reeling,…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is right. We are failing as a society as long as every woman, child and LGBTQ person is not safe in this country. The investments that we put in through prior budgets, like the $2 billion we invested in budget 2021, are designed specifically to address this ongoing tragedy. Just last week, I had the honour and pleasure of announcing investments that respond directl…
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Mr. Speaker, as a society, none of us should pretend there is any form of success until every woman, child and LGBTQ person in this country is safe, and if that is a measure of success, we are failing. The reality is that in this year, the ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations announced the federal pathway. That was only the beginning, and it was coupled with $2.2 billion of investments. We are c…
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Mr. Speaker, last summer, in light of the devastating findings in Kamloops and Cowessess, our government announced an additional $329 million to support indigenous communities in their search for loved ones robbed from them at such a young age, in their efforts to memorialize their loss, and in their quest for closure. Residential schools were a reality in this country for well over 150 years, and…
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Mr. Speaker, frankly, the member opposite is absolutely right. We have invested $2 billion in the federal pathway, and as we approach the first anniversary in June, survivors and 2SLGBTQQI+ persons are looking for results and outcomes. This is something that we say is a whole-of-government approach, but it is up to every minister in our cabinet and, frankly, everyone in this House to make sure tha…
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Mr. Speaker, just this past Thursday, I was honoured to stand with Rebecca Kudloo, who is the president of Pauktuutit, and award her the award for women, peace and security for her role in peacemaking inside this country. It is not something that we do and stand up and say we need to do internationally, but something that we need to do internally. If it were not for Rebecca Kudloo and the organiza…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada remains committed to upholding our fair and compassionate refugee protection system, fulfilling our domestic and international legal obligations and protecting the health and safety of Canadians and those who wish to live in our country.
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