House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2015, with 17% of the vote.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, Jordan's principle is certainly an issue that was addressed in this House. Once the House adopted the principle, we concluded agreements with some of the provinces. These were official agreements and letters of intent and we have arrangements with all the other provinces to ensure that the principle is respected.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Speaker, language falls under education and is included in the $1.5 billion investment in kindergarten to grade 12 education programs.
It is important to point out that considerable progress is being made across the country when it comes to protecting and relearning aboriginal languages. Several first nations can attest to this. We will continue to make these investments in order to continue achieving good results.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, I can say that I have visited many first nations across the country. When I compare what I am seeing today with what I saw 20 or so years ago, I can say that tremendous progress has been made in terms of preserving aboriginal languages and culture in various first nations in Canada, and I am very proud of them for that.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, the government and the department are working with first nations to ensure that housing investments made by first nations are protected so that measures can be taken locally to ensure that those investments are not wasted and that housing does not deteriorate because it is not cared for properly. I have spoken with many chiefs and band councils across the country. They are concerned about the situation and are working in their communities to prevent such situations as much as possible.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, the issue of mould is affecting many first nations across the country. In fact, concerted efforts have been made to address this problem. Thousands of houses have been renovated. Many of the 3,100 renovations a year that I mentioned earlier were necessary because of mould.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, as the member knows, depending on the region, some reserves have adopted building codes that they enforce on the reserve. We hope that all first nations will eventually be subject to building standards in order to protect the massive investments that taxpayers make in housing. That is our goal.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, this is no laughing matter. It is a very important issue. We have budget estimates to deal with serious matters such as housing and health. We need to give young aboriginals the opportunity to gain the skills and education they need to participate in the Canadian economy.
However, the member is taking pleasure in disregarding the serious questions and asking questions that have nothing to do with the real challenge of safety—
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Far too many, Mr. Chair.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, if the past is any indication, I just said that we will continue in the same vein, so I expect the same results.
Business of Supply May 9th, 2013
Mr. Chair, as I was saying earlier, the members seem to be asking the same questions.
From 2006 to 2007, and in 2012-13, my department will have spent roughly $1.2 billion on housing on first nation reserves. According to reports submitted by first nations, the Government of Canada's investments have allowed 1,750 new housing units to be built and 3,100 more to be renovated per year over the past five years. We will continue in the same vein.