Evidence of meeting #36 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was nunavut.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you, Mr. Bagnell.
Take the remaining time, which is almost four minutes.
12:40 p.m.
Coordinator, National Economic Development Committee for Inuit Nanangat, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Is the Berger report sufficient? It certainly highlighted a lot of the problems and it provides some guidance for all parties on where they should proceed. Obviously from Nunavut Tunngavik's perspective it wasn't the end result, because they launched their lawsuit against the federal government to try to force it.
Regarding the food mail program, I think there are problems with the food mail. It's probably a good program, but I think it needs to be reviewed. Hopefully they can come up with solutions to address some of the challenges it faces, both in allowing the consumers a clear understanding of the costs and also in allowing individuals to participate at a greater level than you currently see. On a personal note, I'd suggest that some of the restrictions upon the entry points might provide some cost savings, but that's personal.
Concerning the head start program from Nunavut's perspective, only two communities that I'm aware of have head start programs. The rest of the communities are struggling with their child care facilities, from lack of funding. They could certainly use many more programs, both early child care as well as head start, if funds were made available.
I really can't comment on declining caribou; I don't have enough background. I know there are indications in some areas that it's declining, and in other areas they're beginning to show up again. I know there are migration changes, but as to whether these are as a result of over-hunting or climate change or something else, I really can't suggest an answer.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
With regard to the fish quotas, is there still some anguish about the Inuit not getting their entire justified seafood and fish quotas?
12:45 p.m.
Coordinator, National Economic Development Committee for Inuit Nanangat, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
Yes. The quotas in adjacent waters remain an issue. There are successful fisheries within Nunavut and Labrador, and there are some joint ventures between Nunavik, Labrador, and Nunavut. When the licences came up, the expectation was that they would be offered first to Nunavut in the adjacent waters. That did not happen, and there's still concern over this.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you very much, Mr. Bagnell.
Now we'll go to Mr. Duncan for the final question. Then we just have a couple of very small administrative items. Then we'll wrap it up.
Mr. Duncan.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
John Duncan Conservative Vancouver Island North, BC
Thank you.
I want to try to clarify the post-secondary education issue. I have been provided with a document since I last spoke here.
INAC does not directly provide assistance under the post-secondary student support program in the three territories, because students in those jurisdictions are eligible for assistance from their territorial governments that is provided for in federal territorial transfers. That would be in Nunavut and Inuvialuit. In Nunavik, section 17 of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement created the Kativik School Board. Their budgetary situation is renegotiated every three years. INAC pays its share to Le ministère de L'éducation, du Loisir et du Sport in Quebec, which in turn pays the Kativik School Board.
Nunatsiavut, as part of the self-government grant funding, receives an annual allocation for post-secondary education and economic development. This is reviewed on an ongoing basis through the self-government fiscal finance review process.
So it is not the regular PSSSP program, but there are federal transfers for education. I wanted to clarify that, and I think that was probably all.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you very much, Mr. Duncan. That helps put us all on the same page, it would appear.
I'd like to first of all thank our witnesses for joining us today and providing a very informative overview of the issue that's before us concerning economic development, certainly as it relates to the Inuit of Canada. This has been very helpful.
Committee members, before we break, I want to cover off one item, or perhaps two.
The first item concerns the title of our study. You'll recall that we considered this as “Northern Economic Development". We suggested also that the focus of the study be barriers and solutions. We could, if the committee wishes, confine and in fact change the name of our study. You'll see that it appears on our orders of the day as “Northern Economic Development”. We could amend that somewhat and provide more clarity and focus to the name of our work by putting a colon, followed by “Barriers and Solutions”. This would provide more clarity, certainly, to the public.
By the way, speaking of the public, I noticed that the Whitehorse Daily Star carried our piece about the visit as well, in today's paper.
To come back to the study, the implication would be, members, that because it would be part of the orders of the day, our considerations when we're deliberating these issues would be more confined to those barriers and solutions—perhaps not as broad a berth in terms of discussion.
That's the question I would put to you. Are there any problems with changing the name, then, to add “Barriers and Solutions” to the name of our study?
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Todd Russell Liberal Labrador, NL
No, I have no problem with inserting those two dots. The point has been made, concerning “Northern Economic Development”—it has been made by a lot of committee members, including me, Mr. Rickford, and others—that when we see that title, we give strength to the assumption of people in Labrador who say, “I'm in the north; that includes me.” I'm sure that in northern Ontario or in Nunavik, for instance, you will get that presumption: if they're doing a northern economic development study, why don't they include me? So I don't know whether we want to refine it down, and I don't know how we would do it.
It's a territorial study, a northern economic development study on the territories. I think we made that point in the press release, and I thank you for that. We made it clear in the press release that we're only studying the territories, but it could have some residual impact, and some of the strategies or suggestions or recommendations we make could apply to areas outside of the territories. But I don't know whether we could refine the title a bit more. I don't know.
12:50 p.m.
Liberal
Todd Russell Liberal Labrador, NL
I'm making this suggestion because even a few constituents I had up from Labrador this week said, “You're doing a study on northern economic development? When are you going to come to Labrador, or when can we come to the committee?” I said we'll see.
I blamed it all on the Conservatives, of course, but.... I'm joking.
My point is well taken; I don't want to confuse the point. The point is that there are other people who consider themselves northerners, Inuit or other indigenous people, who are not in there.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
You could go with “Northern Territories Economic Development”. That would clearly delineate what's going on.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Okay, so it would be “Northern Territories Economic Development: Barriers and Solutions”.
12:50 p.m.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
Territories. Northern territories. That would encompass the three territories.
12:50 p.m.
An hon. member
It's better.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
It would be “Northern Territories Economic Development: Barriers and Solutions”.
12:50 p.m.
An hon. member
Right on.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Okay, it's done.
Finally members, this is our last meeting until we meet in Whitehorse on November 16. In terms of attire for our meetings, I'm suggesting that you don't really need a tie. A jacket, open collar, or a sweater underneath a jacket are completely appropriate, along with whatever outerwear you wish, of course. Sealskin ties are completely in order, and in fact quite appropriate, I might add. Informal business attire would be quite appropriate for this trip.
Have a safe trip.
Again, thank you to our witnesses. Well done.
The meeting is adjourned.
