44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 8, 2021 02:00PM
- Dec/8/21 7:46:35 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the answer is all the more important because the indigenous people who served our country were not served by our country when they returned.
November 8 is a special date to honour the sacrifices they made. This date is twinned with November 11. Any support for indigenous peoples obviously requires culturally appropriate support, which we provide.
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- Dec/8/21 9:40:32 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I want to take the opportunity to thank the member for the incredible work she has done as my parliamentary secretary and wish her all the best in her new role as the Parliamentary Secretary for Public Safety.
Most notable, in light of what we have all seen over the last four months with the devastating discoveries and rediscoveries of unmarked graves and with more to come, is the sobering realization about the pace of this progress. As a part of that reaction, our government has committed $320 million to accelerate the pace, particularly with calls to action 72 through 76, which are about getting to the truth of this and continuing to get to the truth of this, because it does come before reconciliation. We are working with communities to support them in their quest for truth at their pace and on their conditions.
With those sums, I am happy to report that over a couple of dozen projects have been funded, with many more to come. In that light, Canadians need to brace themselves for the discovery of more findings and more reckoning, with the triggering and traumatization that has had a ripple effect on all indigenous communities. However, it is something for which we have to walk with communities, in respect and at their pace.
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- Dec/8/21 9:42:29 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, building on my previous answer, I had the opportunity over the course of the summer and the last few weeks to visit over half a dozen sites, each with its own unique, devastating story. However, throughout that, we have heard the cry from indigenous communities, from survivors and those who are courageously speaking out, but also from those who are courageously still suffering in silence, regarding the mental health supports in communities. It has had a ripple effect in every single community in Canada. The $320 million that was announced by the Prime Minister in June comprises a portion of about $100 million for mental health supports in communities.
We will continue to be there with communities again, at their pace, to support them through this difficult time.
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- Dec/8/21 9:43:48 p.m.
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Madam Chair, earlier today, I had a chance to have a partner meeting with the Minister for Women and Gender Equality that focused largely on indigenous issues, particularly the federal pathway and the response that all partners must have, including provincial and territorial partners, in eradicating the threat to women, particularly indigenous women and girls. As part of the federal pathway that was announced in June, we also announced $2.2 billion to continue to work on this as indigenous women are disproportionately affected by this, and even more so by the pandemic. This is a difficult path, but we will walk with partners—
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- Dec/8/21 9:45:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the answer is yes, absolutely.
It is important to remember how this piece of legislation, which was passed just before the election prior to this past one, is built on a spirit of self-determination, lifting up first nations laws, and doing what we all take for granted, which is ensuring that first nations have control and custody over their own and immersed in their own culture. The law itself provides a one-year period where communities put forth their set of laws, which then will take precedence over every other law in Canada.
This is a difficult process with coordination with provinces so that children do not fall through the cracks. Obviously, Cowessess First Nation was the first to adopt it, and there have been many others. We are in the process of establishing coordination agreements with provinces. I am very hopeful, but it will be an extended process. Obviously, we want to have the children at the heart of this. The most important feature of that law is ensuring that there are minimum standards, and those came into effect last year on January 1.
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- Dec/8/21 9:47:05 p.m.
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Madam Chair, one of the sobering reflections that we heard and, particularly, I have heard directly from Joyce Echaquan's husband on the devastating loss of Joyce Echaquan, is that this was not her only negative interaction with the health care system, she also had that when she was giving birth to her seven children. There is a very poignant article that Mr. Dubé has published in the CBC and APTN about his own experience raising his children as a single father.
We have invested $130 million specifically in eradicating systemic racism in the health care system. It really involves the provinces and territories, and everyone has to be committed to it. We cannot have a system that treats indigenous people as third-class citizens. They are at their most vulnerable when they are either interacting with police forces or in a health care scenario where they should be getting what we should be giving to them, which is first-class health services. This is an all-of-government approach—
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- Dec/8/21 9:49:41 p.m.
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Absolutely, Madam Chair. The problem is that we have not yet measured the housing gap in indigenous communities. That is what the Minister of Indigenous Services will be focusing on for the next year. We have included funding in our budgets to figure that out. I totally agree with my colleague.
I know this was not her intention, but I would add that separating the departments was not a luxury. It was strongly advised by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples.
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- Dec/8/21 9:51:26 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would add that the AFNQL and its chief, Chief Picard, would say loud and clear that they themselves do not hold the rights. The communities must be consulted to determine what the best measure is, and that is what the Minister of Indigenous Services plans to do. We do not know what that number will be. It could be a lot more, but it needs to be measured and the shortfall needs to be filled.
We are talking about the government's commitment, which has been stated loud and clear, to close this gap by 2030. Obviously, this will not happen in the next three to five years, especially in remote communities, even though they may have the greatest needs because of their remote location. The construction season is a lot shorter because of the weather. This is a calling that will need to be maintained and worked on relentlessly.
Several departments are involved, not necessarily just the Minister of Indigenous Services and me, but also the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. Up to five departments could be involved in addressing this need.
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- Dec/8/21 9:54:03 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my colleague is absolutely right. If there is one lesson we must learn from the pandemic right now, it is that housing means more than just a roof over one's head. Health is a big issue too, because we know that overcrowded housing leads to outbreaks of diseases such as tuberculosis and COVID‑19. That is a constant worry.
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- Dec/8/21 9:55:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, it is a top priority, so much so that I would like to thank the former Treasury Board president for approving the substantial sum of $6 billion right before the general election so we could get that money out the door quickly. That funding will help close the existing gap over the next three to five years.
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- Dec/8/21 9:57:43 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I do not want to dispute what the member is saying in the House, but I believe that the announcement was made much more than five days before the election was called.
As of today, and I will verify this in case I am mistaken, 28 projects have been approved and many more have been submitted. There is overlap since some communities saw children taken from their families and sent to the same institution.
I would like to disburse these funds as quickly as possible because there are needs to fill, but I will follow the pace and needs of the communities. We certainly need to provide some investments in Quebec, perhaps even in the member's riding. We will be there with the communities, on an as-needed basis.
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- Dec/8/21 9:59:16 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would like some clarification. Is the member asking how much of the $320 million has been allocated, or is she talking about a supplementary budget?
The budget itself is spread across a few departments, specifically, my own, Indigenous Services Canada, particularly for mental health support and assistance, Canadian Heritage and Infrastructure Canada, for the demolition or repair of buildings, as needed.
That would have to be sorted out. If I am not mistaken, the amount is at least $50 million or $60 million, but it could be much more. I will ask my deputy minister to confirm this quickly.
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- Dec/8/21 10:00:25 p.m.
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Madam Chair, that funding is not reflected in the supplementary estimates (B). I would have to look and sort that out. The funds were approved and distributed by Treasury Board.
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- Dec/8/21 10:00:54 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I will certainly do that.
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- Dec/8/21 10:01:48 p.m.
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Madam Chair, to answer that question, I would have to go into a lot more detail than my time here permits. It is a long-term process to get rid of past policies that are clearly both racist and colonial. The framework is there, but there has to be recognition of rights based on the paradigm and the community's needs. Progress is happening across the country, and we are respecting communities' priorities. That is what we will keep doing.
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- Dec/8/21 10:02:55 p.m.
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Madam Chair, indigenous communities are telling us loud and clear that this must not be handled by people in Ottawa only. The policies need to be changed, and this overhaul needs to be done. However, some clauses are no longer being used, including extinguishment clauses, and they need to be removed.
This uncertainty is a good thing because it is the indigenous communities who are setting the pace on this file.
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- Dec/8/21 10:54:57 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there are two timelines that are important to bear in mind for people.
One, the $500 million in infrastructure that we committed has gone through the Treasury Board. That is intended for shovel-ready projects in Inuit Nunangat over the next three to five years, conscious of the construction season as well.
We announced, during our campaign, a commitment to a specific Inuit amount in housing of $300 million. We want to get that out as quickly as possible. Obviously we will work with partners, including ITK and the territorial government.
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- Dec/8/21 10:55:46 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have a rough understanding of the massive underfunding that exists across Canada. In Inuit Nunangat. there was a very good report produced by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami through Ernst & Young. It is very detailed. We appreciate the co-operation that we have ITK. This is a double work that we have with the territorial governments as well as ITK. We do have an appreciation, but we need to refine it throughout the next couple of years as we close the gap for 2030 to which committed.
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- Dec/8/21 10:56:25 p.m.
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Madam Chair, not as well as the member opposite. My understanding is that it ranges in and around $400,000.
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- Dec/8/21 10:56:40 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we know well that a dollar in the north is much more than the dollar in the south. Those are rough understandings, but it obviously varies from community to community, but much more clearly, particularly given the shorter construction season.
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