- Member of Parliament
- Minister of Indigenous Services
Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
- Liberal
- Thunder Bay—Superior North
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 66%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $142,376.94
- Government Page
- Apr/19/24 12:05:35 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her ongoing advocacy.
Since 2015, we have increased spending on indigenous priorities by 180%. That is right. That is the abysmal state in which we received this file in 2015 from the previous Harper Conservatives, who gave zero cares about the lives of indigenous people.
In fact, budget 2024 dedicates over $9.5 billion to indigenous priorities. A full 25% of the budget goes toward indigenous priorities in this country. We will continue on the path of reconciliation together.
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- Nov/30/23 3:22:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have to ask ourselves how that infrastructure gap got so big, and it was a decade of neglect. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition, on the day of the apology from Prime Minister Harper, said that what people really needed to do was actually get to work and show work values. These are the kinds of ethics that these Conservatives hold in terms of first nations.
We will continue to work with first nations on rights and in respectful ways in closing gaps. That is what responsible governments do.
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- Nov/7/23 3:22:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Nunavut for this really important question. In fact, after a decade of no investments in first nations communities under the Harper government, our government got to work with first nations partners to start to close that infrastructure gap on things such as clean water, where boil water advisories had been left unattended for a decade, and things such as housing, community centres, health centres and schools.
I agree with the member opposite. The gap is huge, but we are making progress with indigenous leadership. I am very proud of that.
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- Sep/19/23 3:10:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 2015, after a decade of entrenching poverty for first nations, a newly elected Liberal government got to work on reconciliation. First nations community services have increased by 156% since then. That is for things like school, water and health services. I have been clear and so has the government: Programs and services for indigenous peoples will be protected.
Reconciliation is good for Canada and for our economy, and it is something that the leader of the official opposition has never understood. Indeed, under the Harper government, first nations organizations faced a—
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- Sep/18/23 3:07:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, why should Canadians trust the Leader of the Opposition on housing? When he had the file, he failed hard. In fact, a $300-million fund to build housing in first nations, set up by the leader himself, built 99 houses. For every one house he and the Harper Conservatives built on reserve, we have renovated or built nine. We cannot afford his broken ideas.
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- May/15/23 12:35:08 p.m.
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- Re: Bill S-5
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise to answer this question. There was, weirdly, an imposing premise in the question that, one, it took the government too long to get here and, two, the government was rushing through this legislation.
Let me just address this. Unlike the previous Conservatives government under Stephen Harper, which introduced water legislation on a first nation without any consultation with first nations people, the Liberal government takes its time to ensure that it hears all perspectives before tabling important legislation like this.
I am thrilled to support this legislation, and I know that many others in this House are. I am thankful for the time today.
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