Evidence of meeting #47 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was north.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Administrative Technician, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
Yes, they're all there right now.
Administrative Technician, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
I don't know.
NDP
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
Yes, with pleasure.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Thank you.
The permafrost issue could get much worse because of climate change. That may be something that we will have to take into account in building new housing or moving existing communities.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
In my opinion, any housing strategy needs to be adapted to local conditions. Should a northern housing strategy contain that type of adaptation measure?
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
Certainly. Each community is different. The situation and the overcrowding vary from one village to another. Each community has its own particular conditions, and they should be taken into account.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
It's the same thing for the infrastructure. In certain locations, water is delivered, whereas in others I saw that there were service lines and an aqueduct system. In Nunavik, the infrastructure is not the same everywhere.
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
It may have been south of the 55th parallel.
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
It may have been in Kuujjuarapik.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Thank you very much.
I'm looking at the clock. We have to save about five minutes at the end for some committee business. I want to get a few more questions in.
Bob, do you guys have somebody else who wants to take at least one more?
Conservative
Liberal
Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC
Thank you very much.
I want to pick up a little on my colleague's comments about climate change. You said you're seeing the effects of climate change, and probably more so than what we would normally see. When we talk about pricing carbon, I come from British Columbia, where they have implemented a $10 tax on carbon per tonne, and now they're up to $30. We've been living with this for quite some time now. They released their last budget, and it shows they collected almost $1.2 billion in revenue from pricing carbon.
It's up to the provinces to decide what to do with that money. They gave back almost $580 million in personal tax savings. It could be a northern tax credit, it could be an income tax break, but it's all broken out. They put another almost $1.1 billion in business incentives. It's all priced and it did come out to be revenue neutral.
Do you see that as having potential? The Province of Quebec would be collecting this money and deciding what to do with it, so do you see a portion of those funds being able to help up north?
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
That's a good question.
Conservative
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, we bring the witnesses here to ask them questions, not to answer them for them. Mr. Ruimy asked a question and then he nodded his head and said, “Yes?” I would ask members not to answer the questions for the witnesses, out of respect for those who are here.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
That's fair enough, but if we're going to start throwing stones about leading the witness, I think we better worry about whether we live in glass houses, Mr. Poilievre.
Liberal
Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC
If the Province of Quebec has the ability and the extra funds, and we know that north faces more challenges from by climate change, do you see that as an opportunity to get more funding to help with the challenges? Do you think it would be fair to redirect some of that funding to your region?
Communications Officer, Kativik Municipal Housing Bureau
As Ms. Bouchard was saying earlier, all of the funds, wherever they come from, will facilitate the development of Nunavik and help the Inuit. That is certain.
As to whether that is a good idea, it is up to the Government of Quebec to see, and to develop its strategy.
Liberal
Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC
My next question is whether the federal funding that you receive comes via the Province of Quebec or directly to you.
