Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the members of the committee for coming to Yellowknife to hear what the people of the north have to say on the upcoming budget.
In a way I'm glad to be the last person to speak, because I realize that we all agree on some very fundamental points in terms of what is needed for the north to develop.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada represents upward of 12,000 workers across the three northern territories, so I'm speaking on behalf of workers in Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut. The bulk of the membership is employed by the territorial governments, but we also represent employees of the federal and municipal governments and of a number of non-governmental and para-governmental organizations. We also represent workers in the private sector, for example, the employees of BHP-Billiton, working at the Ekati diamond mine in NWT; Nuna Contracting, involved in the Giant mine reclamation project, and many more.
My brief does not deviate from the one to be filed by Brother John Gordon, national president of PSAC. On the contrary, it augments and reinforces it, especially on the issues of unemployment and government involvement in the economy.
Here's the shocker: unemployment in the region. The official figures on unemployment for the north are generally higher than those for the rest of the country, but the north's figures do not necessarily reflect reality. Real unemployment in this region is easily two to three times higher than official figures. Rural areas are worse than urban ones. The situation in the NWT is worse than in the Yukon, and Nunavut is the most affected.
Anecdotal information would suggest that a full one-third of the potential workforce in Nunavut is unemployed, and this is a conservative estimate. Aboriginal people—Inuit, first nations, and Métis—in all three territories are especially affected by this scourge.
As a result, a vast segment of the population is living in crushing poverty. This is having devastating effects on every aspect of people's lives: health, education, family relations, and self-esteem. If these conditions existed in the provinces, all levels of government would declare a state of emergency and immediately instate a rescue package in the billions of dollars.
These conditions have existed on a systemic basis in the north for decades. Some intervention has taken place, but nothing near the scale of what is required to provide significant relief and recovery and to bring the people of the north on a par economically with the rest of Canada. Nunavut, in particular, has been grossly underfunded.
Currently, Canadian workers everywhere are suffering an historical surge in unemployment and loss of jobs. Even under these conditions, the rates of unemployment in the north are several times higher than in the provinces. Compounding the problem is the fact that a lot of workers who actually have jobs cannot afford the prices of food and housing. The price of good, nutritious food in many communities north of 60 is three to four times what it is in the rest of Canada, and yet people's incomes are only a fraction of Canadians' average income. The consequences are utterly disastrous. Northerners, especially aboriginal peoples, are plagued with health problems that put them on a par with some of the poorest parts of the world. This is unconscionable in a country as rich as Canada.
Our recommendation for the north to the finance committee is an immediate increase in transfer payments to each of the three territories in the following range: for Nunavut, 50%; for the Northwest Territories, 20%; and for the Yukon, 20%. The representative from the Department of Finance has asked that transfer payments not be reduced. It's even more imperative that they be brought up to a level where we can start to address some of the major problems.
These increased funds should be, in order of priority, targeted to housing, food subsidies, and health and social services. Unless these areas receive a substantial financial boost from the central Canadian government, it will be impossible for northerners to attain the level of functionality they need in order to fully participate in the industrial developments that are being contemplated by industry and governments, now and for the future. One cannot learn and prosper unless one has a decent house to live in, nutritious food to eat, good health, and a stable, healthy family and community to live in.
In conclusion, there is a cost to everything we do, but there is also a larger cost to everything we do not do. The neglect of populations in the north, especially of aboriginal peoples, carries a huge human cost. Now is the time to deal with this long-standing injustice and demonstrate that Canada cares about all of its citizens, no matter how far they live from the capital.
Do I have a little more time?