Indigenous Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, my friend opposite expressed a great deal of concern about the timeline. It seemed almost as though he was giving up on the process already. We still have 13 weeks to go in this Parliament, and I believe that if we all work together, we can get this legislation through, along with many other pieces of legislation.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Skeena—Bulkley Valley for his very passionate speech today, and of course his long-term commitment to advancing indigenous rights. I want to respond to a couple of his comments. First, he had a number of very important suggestions, which we hope will be debated and discussed in committee, including the addition of the sixties scoop and other incidents over the generations, such as forced displacement and so on.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, the bill itself does not allocate funding at this point. However, it is the framework that would ensure that indigenous communities across Canada, based on their need and on their ability to determine what are the priorities for them and what mode and method of teaching and preserving and revitalization is important, will be able to secure funding through the government.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, I note that there are 13 weeks, as the member opposite said, that the House will sit. If this logic were to be followed through, we might as well rise today and wait until the election in October. The fact is that, as parliamentarians, we have an obligation. We actually have the opportunity right now in the remaining weeks of this mandate to work hard, to work together and to work collaboratively on something that is so fundamental to this country, so fundamental to so many language speakers.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, we are in new territory. In fact, codevelopment has taken place over the last couple of years with the three national indigenous organizations. Codevelopment does not mean co-drafting. A lot of work went into, for example, developing the 12 principles that were developed together with the Government of Canada and the three national indigenous organizations, which formed the basis of this bill.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my friend from Surrey Centre. I am deeply honoured to speak this afternoon in support of Bill C-91, the indigenous languages act. I want to start by acknowledging that we are gathered here on the traditional unceded lands of the Algonquin people.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, I am a little perplexed by the member's comments at the end of his speech. He indicated that movement has not been substantive with respect to indigenous issues. I note that in the past three years, $16.8 billion has been invested in different programs and initiatives with respect to indigenous peoples, which has resulted in more then 250,000 people benefiting from 157 school projects, more than 450,000 people benefiting from 490 water projects and more than 200,000 approved requests under Jordan's principle.

Indigenous Languages Act  Madam Speaker, the member indicated that this bill is being introduced close to the end of the mandate. However, I would note that the previous Harper government had 10 years to protect indigenous languages in this country. In fact, it cut indigenous language services in every single budget, with just $5 million invested to protect, preserve and enhance over 90 languages in Canada.

Indigenous Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend for his speech. I know how special it is for him to be able to speak in Cree and also how important this legislation is for him personally. I have noted the concerns he has outlined. However, I have to counter with respect to the provisions on UNDRIP.

Indigenous Languages Act  Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify the purpose of the act. It is very clear under paragraph 5(g), which says that one of the objectives of the act is to “advance the achievement of the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as it relates to Indigenous languages.”

Opioid Crisis in Canada  Mr. Chair, we are doing both. I do not think it is necessary to quantify which one supersedes the other. As a government, we believe in a multipronged, multi-pillared approach that essentially captures the different options that are available. I think we are on the right track toward addressing this in a multipronged way.

Opioid Crisis in Canada  Mr. Chair, that is a very constructive observation. It is an essential part of what the families going through this need, and I believe that this support is lacking, to be honest, at least in the areas I represent. Unfortunately, the support systems are not readily available for families who require this.

Opioid Crisis in Canada  Mr. Chair, I believe that since taking office, we have opened 27 safe injection sites, and 32 supervised consumption sites have been approved going forward. Philosophically, I do think the previous government failed to act on this to ensure that there were appropriate sites to support individuals.

Opioid Crisis in Canada  Mr. Chair, Portugal is not Canada and Canada is not Portugal. In looking at jurisdictions even within Canada, I note that my friends opposite have outlined issues in their communities. These communities are sometimes even smaller in size compared to, say, places like Toronto. I do not think it is necessarily fair to compare what is happening in different jurisdictions.

Opioid Crisis in Canada  Mr. Chair, my friend was sharing some very personal experiences of her constituents, friends and perhaps neighbours. It is absolutely a crisis, and I outlined a number of very important initiatives the government is undertaking. However, it is also critical to look at the underlying research that needs to inform us of what the next steps should be.