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Lori Idlout

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
NDP

Nunavut
Nunavut
Voting Attendance: 67%
Expenses Last Quarter: $178,285.32

Government Page

Oct/5/23 6:46:59 p.m.
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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 Iqaluit to Ottawa. This flight was cancelled twice, then re-booked for days later. It would have caused her to miss an important meeting. As a result, she had to take a much more expensive flight with Air Canada through Edmonton. She was told that she was not eligible for compensation and would have to dispute her claim through the Canadian Transportation Agency. She was also advised that this process would take up to 18 months. This is unacceptable. Nunavummiut do not have thousands of dollars and many months to wait for compensation for essential travel. Are these delays what the government had in mind when it introduced the air passenger bill of rights?

184 words

Context: House Hansard - 230 - Oct/5/23

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

Oct/5/23 6:39:56 p.m.
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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 an unfortunate reality of living in Nunavut, yet Nunavut does not have adequate airport infrastructure to ensure that prices are affordable. Nunavummiut have seen increases in fares since the government first approved the Canadian North-First Air merger. I understand these increases were a result of Transport Canada undertakings that made it impossible for Canadian North to maintain sustainable operations. It is difficult and expensive to run an airline in a territory as large and sparsely populated as Nunavut. Imposing onerous conditions on one of Nunavut's only airlines is not the solution. The 25% annual fare increase that Transport Canada has allowed for is also far too high. That is four times the rate of inflation. For a $3,000 flight between Ottawa and Iqaluit, the fare could be raised by $750 this year. When the government announced its new deal with Canadian North last April, they promised to maintain fares and departures while providing a more efficient service. In the last few months, I have received many complaints about the disruptions experienced by my constituents. Gjoa Haven only has one or two flights per week, which can leave families in southern facilities for extended periods of time. For example, if a person from Gjoa Haven has a medical appointment in Yellowknife, that patient will most likely end up in Yellowknife for weeks because of cancelled or overbooked flights. These are patients who, because of the lack of a health care system, are forced to leave their territory to access basic health care services that are available to the rest of Canada. The mayor of Arctic Bay wrote to me, saying they are seeing nine fewer flights per week compared with last year. This is unacceptable for communities that rely on these flights for food, health, education, tourism, infrastructure and economic development. My office is hearing many similar stories from constituents who have been stranded due to cancellations, delays or rescheduled flights. Nunavummiut struggle every day with the excessive cost of living in the North. Not only are they battling the rising costs of food, fuel and housing, but they are also paying thousands of dollars more for essential appointments. According to the federal government release, the deal signed with Canadian North would provide “the access to air services they need, while at the same time ensuring Canadian North remains a viable service provider”. When will the government admit that it will not do so?

478 words

Context: House Hansard - 204 - Jun/1/23

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

Jun/1/23 2:38:33 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, communities in Nunavut must rely on safe, affordable and accessible air transportation. The government's new deal with Canadian North jeopardizes the overall well-being of Nunavummiut. Raising prices would increase the cost of food and supplies and threaten the health care that people in Nunavut rely on, which is already limited. Will the government commit to keeping air travel affordable, so northerners can access the services and care they need?

72 words

Context: House Hansard - 75 - May/19/22

Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

May/19/22 12:55:54 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I am glad that the member mentioned CATSA, because it is facing a labour shortage. To fix that requires better wages and more support for workers. Do the Conservatives acknowledge that we need to support public servants, like the workers keeping the flying public safe every day, by supporting them with good wages?

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Lori Idlout