Evidence of meeting #145 for Canadian Heritage in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was within.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
I'm just thinking about logistics in terms of universities and colleges. How would that actually get implemented with their likely small numbers?
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
I'd love to have a longer conversation with you on that. I cannot do that in 15 seconds.
I will say that the ability to implement a piece of legislation is a very different thing from the rights and the implementation of rights that we are looking for.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I wish we had more time so that we could try to get that answer.
I appreciate your brevity. Thank you for providing us with an answer.
We will now go to Mr. Hogg for our final five minutes.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
We're at the disadvantage of not seeing the submission you've made. Apparently that's going through translation and we will be getting that at some point.
I feel that I'm not as well equipped or well informed as I would like to be. I find that you're trying to interpret some of that, which I'm assuming we're going to see when we get your submission.
I'm trying to articulate for myself the differences that you're saying are not represented for you but are represented for the other two indigenous groups. Can you articulate that a little more for me in terms of the two changes or one change that would have to be done so there would be equity?
Am I interpreting that correctly?
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
I'm trying to understand the question, but I don't think it is a case that this bill does something for first nations or Métis that it does not do for Inuit. That is not the conversation that we're having here. I think what we are looking for are fundamentally Inuit-specific provisions of a different nature than what first nations and Métis are saying they are comfortable with.
Tim, do you want to add to that?
Political Advisor, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Sure, I can try to clarify. I apologize that you don't have the submission that was shared with the clerk on Thursday of last week.
What we're proposing, as far as amendments to the bill are concerned, is that a provision be included after clause 11 of Bill C-91, which would state: “The Minister must pursue, in close consultation with relevant Indigenous governing bodies, the development of a separate Annex to this Act in relation to Inuktut.”
We've included a draft annex that we have drafted, and it imagines what those specific provisions in that annex could be. Those provisions fall under a few different categories: status of Inuktut, principles, definitions, funding, education, health, justice and language of work in the federal departments and agencies.
A question came up earlier in relation to education, and I think there may be a misunderstanding of what the rationale is for our comments on education. The specific provision we'd be imagining including in the annex itself would state, or could state: “The Government of Canada must take effective measures to support the advancement and implementation of education in Inuktut within Inuit Nunangat.”
Currently, there is a significant disparity in funding that is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage to the two territories through the territorial language accords, which the Department of Canadian Heritage negotiates bilaterally with the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Such a provision could create the opportunity for trilateral agreements being negotiated with the department and the provincial and territorial governments in whose jurisdiction Inuit live, to ensure that adequate funding for education initiatives and activities are provided. Currently, through those existing agreements, those funds, for example, that are provided to the Government of Nunavut for Inuktut are not eligible for use by the public government's department of education; however, the funding for French language instruction is included in that particular agreement.
I'm just providing some background about our comments earlier about the need for equitable support for education throughout Inuit Nunangat.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
If that annex were contained within this, would there be some equity in terms of the legislation as it applies to all indigenous people, or would we be looking at an annex similar to that for other groups as well?
President, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
We have challenges with this legislation and C-91 specifically, based on the codevelopment that was promised to us by the Government of Canada and our expectation of an Inuktut-specific section within the bill.
What happens with first nations or Métis is not within our purview or jurisdiction. I would argue that is more within the Government of Canada's concern.
Liberal
Gordie Hogg Liberal South Surrey—White Rock, BC
Thank you.
I wish we'd had that before, so we could be asking other witnesses about that. That's probably an important allocation or understanding within this. In our discussion—
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Julie Dabrusin
I feel like the comic strip that ended in “That's all, folks”.
Thank you very much. That was very helpful.
I would like to explain that the reason it hasn't been distributed is that it needs to go through translation. We received it last week, but it has to be fully translated before it can be distributed to the committee. Everybody will be getting all of the materials you provided to us.
Thank you very much for your assistance today.
That will bring this meeting to an end.