SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 209

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 8, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 209 - Jun/8/23
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Jun/8/23 6:43:42 p.m.
  • Watch
Uqaqtittiji, what I like about this bill, and I have spoken to this a few times and have raised questions about it as well, is that it enshrines into legislation the importance of indigenous people's rights, as well as enshrining international instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I wonder if the member agrees that enshrining these international instruments is very important in ensuring that our children are getting the best quality care, which they deserve?
81 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 209 - Jun/9/23
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Jun/9/23 12:22:20 a.m.
  • Watch
Uqaqtittiji, back in March, I travelled with committee members of the indigenous and northern affairs committee to my riding in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife. We met with many of my constituents and with Canadian Rangers in both of my communities. We went to the joint task force north headquarters office in Yellowknife as well. We heard from my constituents, especially Canadian Rangers, who are extremely proud to serve and keep the Arctic secure for Arctic sovereignty. Canadian Rangers wear their uniforms with pride when they do their operations. They outlined some issues with being Canadian Rangers. When I asked my original question back in March, my question related to one of those issues, which included how long it takes for their reimbursements after they have completed operations. That was three months ago. Some have waited as long as six months to be reimbursed for their time and for repairs. One of the images shared during these visits showed that the Canadian Armed Forces must be using horse carriages to get from Yellowknife to Ottawa to submit the paperwork to Ottawa, with Ottawa using that same mode of transportation to send the cheques back to the communities. Part of the response to my question was, “The CAF has recently streamlined the compensation process. This will expedite the process for Rangers to receive their reimbursements.” Can the government please describe exactly in what way the process has been streamlined and by how much time the process has been cut so that Canadian Rangers do not have to wait months for their reimbursements?
267 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 209 - Jun/9/23
Ms. Lori Idlout
  • Jun/9/23 12:24:51 a.m.
  • Watch
Uqaqtittiji, I very much appreciate that very informative response. It does give me hope that Canadian Rangers will get their reimbursements sooner. Another issue brought up with the process of reimbursing Canadian Rangers is how difficult it is to get repairs completed. The main reason is that most Nunavut communities do not have access to direct mechanics in their communities. Canadian Rangers must use limited bandwidth to find the right parts to fix their vehicles, describe them to the mechanics in the south and finally order them and have them delivered by airmail. What will the government do to make it easier for Canadian Rangers to get their vehicles repaired so they can continue with their important operations to maintain Arctic sovereignty?
122 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border