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Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Lori Idlout

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • NDP
  • Nunavut
  • Nunavut
  • Voting Attendance: 67%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $178,285.32

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 295 - Apr/8/24
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Apr/8/24 2:48:45 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, grocery prices in the north are still sky high. In the latest flyer from NorthMart in Iqaluit, a jar of pasta sauce is over $10. When I asked the Minister of Northern Affairs about the broken nutrition north program, he pointed to internal reviews and studies. Indigenous peoples and northerners do not need more studies. They need to put food on the table. When will the Liberals stop the delays and fix the nutrition north program so people can put groceries on the table?
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Context: House Hansard - 109 - Oct/6/22
Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)
  • Oct/6/22 12:25:19 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, big grocery stores are taking too much from struggling Canadians. Much of the time the north experiences unique challenges. Unfortunately, the north is not immune to this issue. NorthMart, owned by the North West Company, reported net earnings of over $150 million in 2021. This is nearly a 10% increase from the year before. Canadians need answers. Shareholders profited from increased prices while families went hungry. In Nunavut, one in four households are severely food insecure. Food Banks Canada reported that many of these families are female-led. It said that, in 2020, the cost to feed a family of four in Iqaluit was roughly $1,721 per month. In Ottawa, that cost was around $868. That is almost doubled in Iqaluit. No one should have to worry about putting food on the table. Nunavummiut have been past this breaking point for years. The current inflation has worsened the situation for my constituents. The federal nutrition north program is failing to make a meaningful difference. The price of bread ranges from three dollars to five dollars. In the rest of Canada, that price is less than two dollars. Subsidies from the federal nutrition north program should be going to families. Instead, the $103-million program is failing to make a difference in the price of food. Grocery stores are using the money for their own interests. In return, food prices continue to climb. Nunavummiut deserve answers. Nunavut is being geodiscriminated against because food needs to be flown into communities. With no competitive regulations, food costs continue to climb with no intervention. Nunavummiut are forced to pay these costs because there are no alternatives. Without a competitive food market, costs will go unregulated. Southern companies line their pockets with profits while northern communities go without. Northern retailers receive a subsidy for every kilogram of staple food they ship to northern communities. There are no rules on pricing. They are taking advantage of the money, and the families in Nunavut are the ones who suffer. Climate change and corporate greed are making it more difficult for Inuit to have access to traditional foods. Caribou populations are declining, and increased stress on other species is having an effect. By limiting what can be harvested, there is more reliance on food from grocery stores. Food insecurity in the north is the longest-lasting public health emergency in Canadian history. This problem is not a new one, but it is one that continues to be ignored. The wages of workers are not keeping up with food costs. Children are going to school hungry. Food is a human right, not a luxury, but the current price of food is saying otherwise. Change needs to happen. We cannot keep going at this rate. CEOs and big corporations are not paying what they owe. My community and others like it are suffering. Corporate greed will not stop unless we make it stop. An investigation needs to occur. The penalties for price-fixing need to be more strict. A slap on the wrist is not enough. One company should not have this much power. I thank poverty advocate Irene Breckon, from Elliot Lake, a member of the riding of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, who initiated the class action lawsuit that brought this issue to light. Shipping costs can no longer be an excuse for the rising costs of food. We need to look at the root of the problem. Nearly $30 billion in taxes were avoided in 2021 by CEOs and big corporations. This is where the problem is. This is where change needs to happen. Canadians deserve answers. We need to support the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Action needs to happen. Data needs to be made available. My community deserves answers. Without a competitive food market, tinfoil can be priced at $64. Indigenous communities will continue to be at risk at this rate.
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