Debates of March 30th, 2010

Aboriginal Healing Foundation

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Questions and comments. The hon. member for Churchill. A very short question, please.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill, MB]

Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, when many people wrote to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, they received a response that, pending the evaluation, the fate of the AHF would be decided. This happened many times during the fall.

What happened to that evaluation? I understand it stood as a draft evaluation for months and it was only tabled a day after the budget. Providing that the draft evaluation was around for so many months and providing that it was a positive evaluation, which we know it was, how did that result in the AHF not receiving any funding or any further commitments as we moved forward?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I think the gist of the question is the gist of this debate. I think we have adequately responded to why we are doing what we are doing, and why budget 2010 set that out.

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, I am privileged but very sad to have to participate in this debate this evening. I will be sharing my time with the member for Papineau.

The government has heard the uproar across the country from thousands upon thousands of people about shutting down the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

When I came into the chamber tonight, I was hoping for a compromise solution. I was hoping the government would listen to those people so in need. I was hoping for a win-win-win compromise situation, a non-partisan win, where all members of the House, on this side for sure, and a majority of the House vastly believe in the importance of carrying on this good work. Even the minister and the parliamentary secretary have said good work has been done. The minister's own evaluation talks about this indispensable work.

Why not? It makes the most common sense to come to a compromise situation. The government could perhaps re-profile some of the $199 million so that we could carry on for another year, and come up with a solution to this incredible problem that is the reason for this very important emergency debate that would not have occurred if these very valuable and important services in people's lives were not going to be shut down across the country in about four hours.

This is particularly devastating to the people in the riding of the Minister of Health, Nunavut. In the Nunavut Legislature there is a motion calling for the reinstatement of this funding.

There is also a logical dissonance in the government's decision to cut this down. It has admitted, by saying it needs $133 million for more payouts for many more survivors, that obviously these people need health and healing services that the Aboriginal Healing Foundation provides. The government is cutting those off. It is only paying for one piece of the puzzle.

The healing is obviously not finished. The government is dreaming in Technicolor if it thinks the serious major impacts on people's lives are over in a year or two. Even with the services that Health Canada provides, which are excellent services, it is one piece of the puzzle. The other huge piece provided by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation is necessary and ongoing.

If the healing was over, why do thousands upon thousands of people still access the 134 projects? Health Canada has made it quite clear that the money in the budget will allow it to continue the services it has always provided. That is its job. It has to. It is a statutory requirement. It will continue doing that.

The budget says that the necessary mental health and emotional support services continue to be provided to former students. It is great that Health Canada continues its small part of the puzzle. However, the big, gaping hole left by closing these 134 healing projects across the country is not being filled by anything.

I am going to give an example of some of these from my own riding. There are only four projects in my riding.

The first one is the Committee on Abuse in Residential Schools Society that provides talking circles, outreach work, educational sessions, et cetera, for $603,000. This one project has thousands of contacts. Out of 134 institutions and projects, imagine how many people that is across the country. This project was for $603,000, and that ends with no replacement in about four hours.

The second project is the Northern Tutchone Tribal Council. The goal is to rebuild the families, homes and communities of the Northern Tutchone Tribal Council. It provides ongoing counselling and traditional land-based activities to assist community members to address the legacy of residential schools on their lives and families. Its $616,200 ends in four hours.

The Kwanlin Dün First Nation's project will provide one-on-one counselling to survivors and their family members to address issues of physical and sexual abuse, shame and addictions. The project develops holistic healing plans for each participant receiving counselling. It provides a series of workshops, which include history and impacts of residential schools, communication skills, traditional medicine, traditional knowledge and culture, resiliency and recovery, and the Virginia Satir model, understanding self within the family structure.

The project provides elders with healing circles, a men's support group, a women's talking circle, a residential school survivor support group, and an elder women's sewing circle. None of this is being replaced. There was no suggestion by anyone in the government that those programs would be replaced. Their $710,748 funding ends in four hours.

The last one, the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, has done excellent work for years. I will give more detailed feedback as an example of this type of work in a small, remote community that has a number of challenges, and obviously nothing is replacing this. It states:

A more powerful approach to the argument as to why the AHF [the Aboriginal Healing Foundation] should continue is that over the last 10 years we have learned a lot on what the First Nations people want and need to promote a lasting healing environment. In the past many professionals have been dropped into communities to hold workshops and provide counseling. Then they left, sometimes leaving the people feeling open and raw with reawakened memories and also feeling abandoned, once again. These temporary interventions are not sustainable.

We can think how they feel tonight. It goes on to state:

Communities desperately need local individuals to be educated in the helping fields so that there may be a true understanding of the magnitude of cultural and historic issues and how they affect the healing journey. In the last 10 years we have provided counseling and education that is strength based and addressing violence in the context of safety and justice.

We have built these up over 10 years. They are finally working and now we are going to cut them all down. The Women's Society goes on to state:

When we started 10 years ago there was a lot of fear in traditional healing and because of our AHF program providing traditional psychotherapy many members have been more involved and open minded about traditional healing. Our programs have been very diverse, with its foundation rooted in Kaska Culture, we have offered many different programs that helped members heal the scars of residential schools. We have a website that has many pictures of our many paths, www.liardaboriginalwomen.ca. We provide programs that are holistic with Naturopathic medicines for which many members have changed their diets and are more educated on health and taking responsibility for their own wellness. We have offered Traditional knowledge workshops at our camp at Frances Lake and had the camp filled to capacity with family members from grandmothers to great grandmothers and grandfathers teaching the youth and adult about our culture. We have offered counseling to members in Ross River, Yukon with a Doctor visiting them 6 months out of the year. We have offered many other successful programs over the last 10 years and would need to write a book to cover the many stories.

1. LAWS is the only organization in [our town] that offers counseling and culturally based projects to First Nations without a specifically religious or government policy base.

2. Most of our workshops are based on First Nations culture and ideals, however the entire community is always invited to join.

3. Individual counselling is very confidential, client centred and focuses on wellness and abilities, as opposed to illness and barriers.

4. Quote from a client, “I love getting out of the house and being able to do things with other women in a fun way!” “It's nice to be able to get together and laugh and not worry about all the problems”.

From a young woman, “I really like having the chance to learn about our ways from the Elders, this is amazing!”

From an elder to our counsellor, “You are good for our people”.

“We need to do something to help get funding for your Society”

“I am upset to hear that you will be closing”

“Where are we going to go to get counselling”

It goes on to say, “Our therapist is the only therapist in town that goes to our local shelter to provide counselling on a regular basis. Without this program, there will be a huge gap in services that provide counselling support, there will be no education and awareness to the epidemic of violence against the women in our community. There will be no workshops that bring women together in the winter months for a time to sew and share stories of residential schools, validate their courage and strength at the residential schools. We are recognized in our community as a team player and have formed strong networks with all the government agencies, non-profit agencies and first nations organizations in all five Kaska communities. Souga sin la”.

Probably the most shameful comment I heard from the minister was that this was partly based on the current financial situation. How can the government take this away from the most vulnerable in Canada? If anything, money should go to people who are on the verge of suicide, family breakup pt on addictions. It should go to the neediest of the neediest. The government says that the financial situation is one of the reasons it cut this program.

If any of us here had our children taken away and they were told they could not speak English or practise their culture, it would be shattering. That would take years and years of healing and that should not end tonight at midnight.

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Yukon for his speech tonight on the emergency debate moved by the member for Churchill.

In the supplementary estimates under the major specific initiatives it states:

The number of students claiming sexual and/or serious physical abuse and the severity of abuse has proved to be much higher than initially estimated, resulting in total projected payments in 2009-10 to exceed the $160 million annual allocation.

If the problem is actually larger than expected and this foundation is actually just beginning to show good results, it seems that the foundation should be getting more money, not less. Why the cuts? Is it, as the Minister said, he needs to “tackle the deficit”, the real reason for the cuts?

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

The member makes another very good point about how illogical this decision is when all the parties here, the minister, his parliamentary secretary and the evaluation all point out to this good work and the minister says that there are more and more survivors. As the member said, if there are more and more survivors and therefore more and more patients, then obviously we need more and more healing.

Instead of closing the hospital, closing the services and cutting off all the healing, why would we not be providing more until the healing is finished? It is incomprehensible, which is why I think the Speaker is allowing this emergency debate and why vulnerable people across the country are so upset. It is incomprehensible why in this situation of need that we would all of a sudden at midnight tonight cut off everything except 12 institutions and they get one year more.

The minister says that there are other placed to go but no other new places have been offered. Other places have pieces in the puzzle but for these thousands upon thousands of people and the successful organizations built up over 10 years are being ended, zilch, nothing more and closed tonight. That is just incomprehensible and I cannot answer that question.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Yukon, particularly for sharing the stories and the words of those who have been most directly impacted by Indian residential schools and those who have participated in the Aboriginal Healing Foundation programs.

I would say that there are so many gathering stories across the country for which the Aboriginal Healing Foundation has been responsible. I hold some in my hand from the people in Labrador through the healing journey team at the Labrador Aboriginal Legal Services.

It seems to me that the government's entire argument or its logic rests around the fact that somebody else can deliver these services but its only evaluation report, which bears repeating and we will repeat it again and again, states:

...Health Canada support programs are designed to provide specific services that are complementary but different to those of the AHF; and the reported numbers of Survivors seeking help from AHF and Survivor Societies, the logical course of action for the future would seem to be continuation of support for the AHF.

Does my hon. colleague from Yukon agree with that particular statement and how would he recommend we go forward?

[Larry Bagnell, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, the member makes an excellent point. These are totally different.

I have gone into these organizations where some of this healing is going on and these people would never be comfortable going into a government program or service. These people would never go into any other organization except these organizations with the local people who have built up the trust.

The government is not even offering any alternative for these thousands of people. Health Canada has said that it is continuing the programs it is doing now. It is not even offering any new programs to deal with these thousands and thousands of people when in a rare instance we have an institution with 134 projects going on across the country that are finally working.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on March 14, I chaired a public consultation meeting in Papineau on the status of women, together with the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore.

Nakuset, the Director of the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal, gave a presentation at this meeting. This organization, which helps aboriginal women achieve balance through empowered healing, is a suborganization of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Nakuset's testimony was so moving that, for a moment, in that room, we forgot about our Greek, Lebanese, South Asian or other origins, and we were all aboriginal people.

The request to maintain funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation received the support of all those present, including our leader. The next day, my colleague for LaSalle—Émard asked the Minister of State (Status of Women) how she expected to ensure the safety of all Canadian women, including aboriginal women, while cutting funding for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and thus putting at risk 134 projects across Canada, such as the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal.

I know that it comes as no surprise that, when a question is directed to a specific person, the government habitually has someone else answer. The question was answered by the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He claims that he has increased funding and pats himself on the back for meeting his obligations under the Indian residential schools agreement.

I know that 12 years ago, the Liberal government invested $350 million and the programs got underway. These programs are established by and familiar to the communities. Cancelling them would be disastrous for aboriginal women in Quebec and Canada, and for all survivors of residential schools.

The government must invest the $199 million not in Health Canada, or to make amends, but in organizations such as the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, that were established by aboriginals, and are managed by aboriginals, for aboriginals.

The government has done it again. On one hand, it apologizes for the Indian residential schools system and on the other, it takes away the funding that helps the victims, families and communities move on with their lives.

The Native Women's Shelter of Montreal, NWSM, has provided support to first nations, Inuit and Métis women and their children who are in difficulty since 1987. The NWSM provides a safe, culturally relevant, therapeutic environment where aboriginal women can focus on their various personal challenges, such as addictions, mental health, homelessness and abuse.

The shelter offers in-house programs and services funded through the Aboriginal Healing Foundation of Canada. Without continued funding from the AHF, as of tomorrow, March 31, the NWSM is faced with the immediate termination of all healing programs. The implications of this termination are devastating.

The shelter will no longer be able to continue to meet its mandate of providing aboriginal women and children with the holistic support necessary in empowering them to regain their independence and transition successfully within the community, leaving the shelter to provide only basic services of food and emergency board.

Moreover, the compounding effect of these cuts to the NWSM will result in the loss of several culturally sensitive personnel, of which two-thirds are occupied by aboriginal women. Indeed, one of the healers had arrived at the centre years before in crisis and in need of healing herself and had come so far because of the centre that she is now healing others. That is what the funding for the AHF achieves.

As I said earlier, 134 programs like these are threatened. In the past 12 months, these programs have helped more than 205,000 individuals deal with violence, depression, suicide, alcoholism and poverty.

Nearly 50,000 people have attended training workshops on family, employment and healthy living in Montreal and across the country.

Let me be clear: it is absolutely essential that this program be maintained at its current funding level. The reason why it has been so successful is that these are programs by aboriginal people for aboriginal people.

One of the greatest tragedies of residential schools is that it undermined, no, it completely eradicated a peoples' confidence in who they were and what they could achieve. The AHF was a powerful counter to that devastated narrative, an important step in righting years of wrongs.

The government's own reports evaluating the AHF are glowing. The empowerment of individuals, of families, of entire communities, has truly helped, not just in getting beyond the tragic past but in building a better future.

I continue to be astounded by this government, which is constantly trying to diminish the role of the Government of Canada with its laissez-faire, “you're on your own” attitude, a government that is dividing us as a people, a government with no vision that engages in petty politics.

We are at the eleventh hour. Funding for this program will end tomorrow, just three hours from now. Only the government can and must do something about this.

The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs supported the community-based healing initiative established by the foundation in its December 2009 report and even recommended maintaining funding for it.

The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut voted unanimously to ask the federal government to renew its commitment to the foundation. Numerous stakeholders, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, have publicly come out in favour of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

The Liberal Party of Canada and all the members of all the opposition parties call on the Government of Canada to reconsider its decision to cut funding for the foundation.

I really hope that, like the early learning and child care agreement and like the Kelowna accord, the funding of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation will not cease simply because it was a good idea with the fatal flaw of having been created by a Liberal government.

Canada and all Canadians, especially our first peoples, deserve better.

[Jim Maloway, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, there are 80,000 residential school survivors still alive today in Canada. Cutting the Aboriginal Healing Foundation goes against the spirit of the national apology made by the Prime Minister just two years ago, in 2008. As a matter of fact, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation is part of Canada's journey toward reconciliation.

The loss of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation means the loss of 134 projects across Canada. In fact, there are only 12 of them left, and those 12 are only around until March 2012. In fact, one of those remaining 12 is the Eyaa-Keen Centre Incorporated, 547 Notre Dame Avenue, in Winnipeg.

However, as the member indicated, these projects that have been around now for 10 years are all going to expire, basically, tomorrow. This is a drastic change from what people were hoping to see only two years ago. That is basically knocking us back several years in the process, and we are going to have to fight even harder to recover.

I ask the member if he would like to comment on those remarks.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that it is not only all the people these organizations and centres are serving. It is the employees of these organizations who will be losing their jobs, many of them drawn from the very communities in so desperate need of services and of healing.

The other issue that is important to remember is that the story of the residential schools is a story that left a deep mistrust of the Canadian government and its institutions. Part of that healing is in empowering and in returning the trust in the possibilities to heal offered by the government. However, that cannot happen by telling someone to show up at a health care centre or to be served by Canadian doctors or non-natives. It needs to be centred on the communities themselves, healing and building for themselves. That is the trust we have to restore, and that is the only way the federal government can truly help aboriginals in need of healing.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to go on the same theme again. We have Health Canada with a footprint in more than 600 communities across the country. We have 200 first nation communities in British Columbia alone. We have 17 AHF programs, one in my riding. It is on a small island, which is part of my riding, and accessible to one band only out of the 24.

There has been a lot said here. There has been some high debate and some low debate. But for goodness' sake, let us at least talk about what is factual rather than what is not.

I ask for a comment on that.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite needs to understand that the legacy of residential schools all too often is a mistrust of government institutions. What is required, therefore, is to empower communities to help each other.

The member opposite makes an excellent point that there are not nearly enough of these communities to help themselves. There are not nearly enough centres like the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal to help restore confidence and faith in these communities.

We should be increasing the funding grandly for initiatives like the AHF to genuinely help people and not refer them to institutions with which they have a deep and understandable mistrust.

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since there has been much talk about Health Canada, I went to its website. It says:

...based on receipt of a completed treatment plan including the number of counselling sessions recommended and cost, from a recognized Health Canada service provider and with approval from the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch.

I wonder if the member could comment on the fact that it sounds as if one needs to be a hoop dancer to get through all these hoops in order to access a service.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague makes an excellent point in saying that nobody knows better how to help these people who are suffering than members of their own community. That is why initiatives driven from the aboriginal community, by the aboriginal community and for the aboriginal community will always be the best way to empower them and to help them with their healing.

[The Acting Speaker, Conservative, Barry Devolin]

Before I resume debate, there have been a couple of questions in terms of who is asking the questions. As members know, it is the practice of the chair to rotate the questions around the House, but in the case of the debate tonight, I am not following a strict rotation. There are members who have been on their feet many times, who have stayed in the chamber and who are trying to get in a question. I am trying to accommodate as many members as possible. Therefore I will deviate at times from the regular cycle.

Resuming debate. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

I am pleased to stand in the House today to describe some of the concrete actions the government is taking to promote and protect the health and well-being of former students of Indian residential schools and their family members.

In his commitment toward reconciliation, the Prime Minister made his historic statement of apology for Indian residential schools. We recognize that while the settlement agreement is an important milestone in Canada's effort to deliver on its commitment to a fair and lasting resolution to the legacy of Indian residential schools, it can also be a source of deep emotion and sometimes pain.

As such, the government continues to ensure that the appropriate supports are in place throughout the duration of the settlement agreement. This includes $199 million over two years in budget 2010 to ensure that necessary mental health and emotional support services continue to be provided to former students and their families, and to support the independent assessment process and the common experience payment.

Although there are many mental health strengths among first nations and Inuit communities, including connections to traditional cultures and extended family networks, there are also some significant challenges. Many communities face high unemployment rates, widespread poverty, low educational outcomes, remoteness from health services and the loss of traditional language and culture. Some of the 80,000 former students from residential schools are coping with the loss of culture and language. Others may have the after-effects of trauma resulting from physical, sexual and emotional abuse. This may lead to various mental illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions and personality disorders.

It is in acknowledgement of these impacts that the mental health support services offered by our government through Health Canada are available not only to former students of residential schools but also to their families. The commitment we made through the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement enables us to move forward in providing mental health and emotional support services to former students of Indian residential schools and their family members. Support is provided as they participate in the common experience payments, the independent assessment process, Truth and Reconciliation Commission events and commemorative activities.

Our health minister , through her department, provides these mental health and emotional supports through the resolution health support program. The resolution health support program seeks to ensure that former students and their families have the health supports they need to participate in the settlement agreement's process. The resolution health support program provides a range of culturally safe services to ensure that eligible former students of Indian residential schools and their families have access to mental health and emotional supports so they may safely address issues related to the Indian residential schools and disclose any abuse throughout the settlement agreement process.

Through the resolution health support program, Health Canada provides access to more than 1,600 service providers, including professional counsellors, community-based aboriginal workers, elders and traditional healers in every province and territory, in communities across Canada. It also provides assistance with the cost of transportation to access services not available in the home community.

We want to ensure that eligible former students and their families have access to mental health and the emotional supports they need. Of the $199 million over two years in new funding for Indian residential schools included in budget 2010, $65.9 million is for the Indian residential schools resolution health support program over the next two years. The demand for resolution health support program services continues to grow as a result of the volume of common experience payments and independent assessment process hearings, and so does the demand for upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Commission events.

Through this program, former students and their families have access to a range of culturally safe services, many of which are delivered in communities by experienced aboriginal providers. We recognize the diversity of need and are responding accordingly. It is also important that there is access to psychologists and other counsellors. Former students often request to spend time with aboriginal workers from their communities or elders who can assist them in their traditional ways.

The resolution health support program is designed to meet these diverse needs. It provides access to community-based cultural and emotional support as well as to professional counselling. Cultural support services are provided by local aboriginal organizations. Through them, elders or traditional healers are available to assist former students and their families. Specific services are determined by the needs of the individual and include dialogue, ceremonies, prayers or traditional healing.

Emotional support services are also provided by local aboriginal organizations. Through them an aboriginal community-based worker who has training and experience working with former students of Indian residential schools will listen, talk and support former students and their family members throughout the settlement agreement process. In addition to these services, access to professional counsellors, such as psychologists and social workers who are registered with Health Canada, is available to those who need it.

We understand the importance of providing effective services. The 2006 midterm evaluation of the Indian residential schools national resolution framework found that 90% of claimants who responded to a survey utilize one or more of the health support services funded by Health Canada and 93% of survey respondents indicated that their experience was safer and more supportive as a result of the health supports provided. Most importantly, 89% of claimants who received counselling indicated that the resolution process was a positive experience.

Since the implementation of the settlement agreement began in 2007, there has been a greater demand for various services available through the resolution health support program. The independent assessment process is hearing more claims and the need for services does remain high.

Our government has responded to the needs of former students and their families, spending approximately $80 million since the time of implementation to ensure that sufficient mental health and emotional supports are available to former students and their families through the resolution health support program.

Health Canada and its federal and aboriginal partners are being proactive by continuing to increase awareness among former students and their families of the available services by the resolution health support program. We have also been reaching out to projects currently funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation to ensure that eligible clients are aware of and able to access the resolution health support program services. This effort to raise awareness is in addition to the other activities that have been ongoing.

For example, since 2007, over 421,000 brochures describing the resolution health support program have been sent directly to former students, band offices, community health centres, native friendship centres, nursing stations, treatment centres and many other meeting places across this country. The resolution health support program is but one of the several mental health and addictions programs funded by the federal government and which provide important community-based services helping aboriginal families.

Health Canada funds over $200 million in mental health and addiction services to first nations and Inuit communities throughout a number of programs. These include the national native alcohol and drug abuse program and the national youth solvent abuse program, which provide both residential treatment services and community-based prevention programming.

The brighter futures and building healthy communities programs provide funds to address mental wellness issues and crisis intervention programming, which communities use to support action on their own mental health priorities. The national aboriginal youth suicide prevention strategy supports over 200 communities to support youth mental health and to prevent suicide.

These actions clearly demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that former students are aware of and have access to the mental health and emotional support services that they need. We have taken this responsibility seriously. We have demonstrated our commitment to meeting the needs and we will continue to do so.

In conclusion, I just want to go over some of the different programs that are available, because there has been some debate in the House that has not been as factual as it could be. We want to take the high road here and let the House know that there are elder supports. There are community-based elders and traditional healers available. There are emotional supports. There are aboriginal community-based mental health workers, many of whom speak aboriginal languages. There are clinical supports and psychiatrists and psychologists who provide the counselling.

These services are designed to help former students and their families safely address issues related to the Indian residential schools as well as the disclosure of abuse throughout the settlement agreement process.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talked about a lot of programs that have come through Health Canada and various other government departments that work. No one in the House is denying there are many supportive programs in various departments that actually do work. The point is that those programs were there at the same time as the Aboriginal Healing Foundation was there. They were there as INAC said specifically in its evaluation to complement and to support some of the healing process, but that none of those programs could replace the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. This is what the department's own evaluation said.

Basically what I would like the hon. member to answer is, why is it that governments in the past that harmed aboriginal people irreparably because of their decisions or that they knew what was best for them, continue to believe that the only effective programs that can be delivered for aboriginal people must come out of government departments? Does the government not believe that aboriginal people have the ability, as they have shown themselves to have, to take their own fund, use it appropriately in places where they can do it? Does the government not trust that aboriginal people can do this? Is this what the government is saying?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is very important that we make it clear that everyone in the House is very supportive of the aboriginal communities in taking control of their future and working through these very difficult problems. The Government of Canada has been working in partnership with the aboriginal communities to come up with programs that do work. That is why--and unlike some of the comments that have been made in the House, it is important to be factual--these programs are based in the community. These programs are provided by the aboriginal communities. They have traditional healers. They have programs that have worked.

The government has learned from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. It would be wrong to state that this organization has not done a lot of good, but the reality is the program was started back in 1998 and the program has sunsetted. We are continuing what we have learned and continuing what works with aboriginal communities. Our commitment is not only a financial one but a moral one to work with our partners in aboriginal communities to make sure we do what is best collectively working with them input and output, working together for best results.

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have had the absolute privilege of working in many jurisdictions in Canada. I have worked with first nations and Métis people in Alberta. I have worked with first nations and Métis people in Yukon.

Of all of my experiences in my life as a lawyer I could share a couple of profound experiences that really struck home to me personally why we need to provide these exact services, why the government which has unilateral responsibility for first nation peoples needs to be committing this. In the 1970s I witnessed a young aboriginal woman run into the middle of traffic. I pulled her out from there and saved her life and took her home to her family. That is when I had my first experience with the trauma that several generations of first nations are suffering.

I am told that the last healing centre open in Alberta is going to be in southern Alberta. How are those young people going to get to Lethbridge or to Cardston throughout the far north of Alberta to go to a healing centre?

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member's comments really describe why it is very important that we are all committed to making sure that we collectively do what is in the best interests of what aboriginal people tell us they would like to see as we go through this healing process together as a country.

As I said in my statement, for each and every community out there, Health Canada has a footprint in many more communities than previous programs. These services can be and will be provided and we will make it available. If people do have to travel any length of time, the accommodation for travel will be made available.

In closing, I thank the member for her statements. They further support why we have to continue with this commitment.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as a testament to the commitment toward reconciliation which the Prime Minister made in his historic statement of apology for Indian residential schools, this government continues to make key investments in mental health and addictions programs for all first nations and Inuit. We have taken clear action to help aboriginal children and their families in areas of priority concern, such as youth suicide and addictions treatment and prevention.

Canadians enjoy a relatively high standard of health and well-being, but this is too often not the reality for aboriginal communities. Many of the small communities are remote and isolated and have populations of less than 1,000. Some are accessible only by air. Aboriginal communities are also dealing with socio-economic realities, such as poverty and high unemployment rates.

On June 11, 2008, the Prime Minister made a historic apology before the House and all Canadians for the sad reality that for more than a century very young children were often forcibly removed from their homes and placed in Indian residential schools in order to isolate them from what was thought to be inferior influences of their families, traditions and cultures.

These children were not allowed to practise their culture or speak their language. Some were physically and sexually abused and many were inadequately fed, clothed and housed. All were deprived of the care and nurturing of their parents and communities.

Not surprisingly, such tragic social disruption coupled with considerable socio-economic challenges have had negative impacts on the health and mental well-being of communities and their members, particularly the youth. Some aboriginal people have higher rates of binge drinking, alcohol-related hospitalization and almost double the number of deaths.

Even more distressing are the aboriginal suicide rates which are among the highest in the world. First nations rates are three to six times the national average and Inuit rates 11 times higher. Unlike suicide rates for non-aboriginal people, rates of aboriginal suicide are highest among youth. Indeed, injury and suicide are the leading causes of death for aboriginal youth.

Helping young people and preventing aboriginal youth suicide continues to be a priority. Aboriginal youth under 20 years of age account for over 40% of the aboriginal population and this percentage is rising. The health of these youth very literally represent the future health of aboriginal communities.

In the House less than one month ago, the hon. Minister of Finance tabled a budget which included nearly $1 billion in investments for aboriginal people. This included $285 million over two years to renew critical aboriginal health programs, including the national aboriginal youth prevention strategy.

Through this investment, over 200 community-based aboriginal youth suicide prevention projects will continue to be funded. Communities will be able to better respond to crises and important research will take place in order that we can better understand how to respond to this complex health and social challenge.

We understand that traumatic events exact an enormous physiological and psychological toll on the people who experience them and often have ramifications that must be endured for decades. That is why we continue to invest in programs that are critical to the long-term health and well-being of first nations and Inuit.

This government funds over $200 million annually to support a range of first nations and Inuit mental health and addictions programs, from mental health promotion to addictions and suicide prevention, to counselling and other crisis response services, treatment and after-care programs.

The national native alcohol and drug abuse program is another example of a community-based and locally controlled program. The national native alcohol and drug abuse program is also recognized as a leader in incorporating community, cultural and holistic approaches into addictions prevention and treatment programming.

Under Canada's national anti-drug strategy, our government is investing $30.5 million over five years in addiction services for first nations and Inuit, and $9.1 million ongoing to increase service effectiveness, to serve more people through new investments in outreach, outpatient and innovative approaches such as mental wellness teams and to improve service quality.

This work to increase effectiveness of addiction services to serve more people and to improve service quality, with an emphasis on services for first nations youth and their families, is being led by a partnership between Health Canada, the National Native Addictions Partnership Foundation, and the Assembly of First Nations.

It is being driven from the ground up. Communities, families and individuals are having a direct say in what improvements need to be made to the national native alcohol and drug abuse program. Recognizing the diversity among first nations communities, this process is not taking a one-size-fits-all approach but is allowing communities to identify their needs, build on their unique strengths, and have access to the best knowledge and local, national and international evidence to influence the programs they run.

This government takes seriously its responsibilities to support aboriginal communities to address their mental health and addictions priorities. Whether it be by funding important youth aboriginal suicide prevention projects in communities in every province and territory or providing funding to make long-standing services more responsive to current needs and better aligned with the best evidence, this government understands that ongoing action is required.

Canada is also considered a world leader in terms of some innovative and proven aboriginal programs. Take, for instance, the national youth solvent abuse program, which is recognized internationally as an extremely effective and holistic interdisciplinary treatment program. These youth-only treatment centres have established success rates of between 75% and 85%, which is uncharacteristically high even among the world's best treatment programs.

Research clearly points to a number of serious mental health and addictions challenges faced by Canada's aboriginal people. The lasting negative impacts of the experience that many aboriginal people had with Indian residential schools continues to affect many former students, their children and grandchildren.

That is why we continue to invest in first nations and Inuit mental health and addictions programs, supporting communities, families and individuals to recover from the traumas they have suffered, in order to support their full participation in Canadian society.

[Todd Russell, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation programs, complemented with Health Canada, was not providing and has not provided. Health Canada itself recognizes that this is a fact.

What would the member say to all the hamlets in Nunavut, all the small, isolated northern remote communities in Labrador, along the Hudson Bay and Ungava Bay, those in Yukon and the Northwest Territories, and other places around our country?

The Aboriginal Healing Foundation designed its programs in such a way to respond to a need that existed in these communities, built from the community up, from the survivors' groups and their families. It complemented that.

There is one thing I have to say on the record, and I will ask my question very quickly after that. If there is one thing that aboriginal people deserve in this debate, it is honesty. The honest truth is that the government made a cost-cutting measure. It can be wrapped up any way, that other programs and Health Canada will pick up the slack, all these types of things, but the truth is that it is cost-cutting measure.

I ask the member, does she agree with this poor policy decision that is going to so negatively impact aboriginal people and their families?

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, Health Canada has changed dramatically over the years. What used to be a bureaucratic top-down process has predominantly become many bands with transferred services, who are taking care of their own health care services, managing community-based services.

With regard to isolating one support from the many supports, the hon. member talked about the importance of the little hamlets. In spite of the excellent work of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, it could not reach all the communities. However, we have alcohol and drug workers in all those communities. We have nurses and mental health counsellors. We have tele-medicine programs. Things are really improving.

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we had a residential school in my community, and many of the survivors live in Sault Ste. Marie and the two aboriginal communities that border the community. Healing centres operate out of both Garden River and Batchewana. They are very well integrated into the community and are doing some phenomenal work.

It concerns me because just last Friday I met with an elder in Garden River who has been meeting with me on and off around the issue of a treatment centre for aboriginal youth who find themselves addicted to drugs or alcohol. We do not have the services in our communities that the member just mentioned. I am told that many aboriginal communities do not have the services that she has suggested here this evening are available to all.

I note that the minister is here tonight and I appreciate the fact that he has taken time out of what has to be a very busy schedule to listen to our comments as we speak about this important program.

I am asking the member, and perhaps the minister if he will take the time to listen--