Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Dec. 8th, 2022

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

My time is very limited, so I'll quote the article in front of me, the one I was referring to: “Rising construction costs have cancelled or delayed critical infrastructure projects across Nunavut, the territory's legislative assembly heard Wednesday.”

We heard that all housing projects were cancelled this summer because of increasing costs due to inflation. That's the question I want to get to. Why were they all cancelled?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

First of all, perhaps you'd let me finish. Can I answer?

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

My time is limited, Minister.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

My time is limited as well—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I'm asking a simple question about how many.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

—and that's why I want to give you an answer.

I was in Gjoa Haven in late July of this year. Two fiveplexes in Gjoa Haven were near completion. They certainly were not cancelled. They will make 10 safe and affordable homes for families in the relatively small community of Gjoa Haven. That's a real project that's positive.

There is much more work to do. We completely acknowledge that. We are in conversations with the Premier or Nunavut on acceleration—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Let me keep going, Minister, with another question. I'd like to have a longer conversation, but time doesn't allow it today.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Yes, of course.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

The next question is about the Arctic oil and gas moratorium.

Many northerners knew that as soon as the Liberal government took power, and this Prime Minister.... The territorial premiers all wanted to have a say, not necessarily that they wanted to develop oil and gas. However, the Prime Minister said there's a moratorium along the entire three territories, without consultation from any of the premiers.

Can you provide an update on the Arctic oil and gas moratorium? Is there going to be a change? We've seen certain extensions happen. Is it going to be there for the foreseeable future? At what point are you going to hand over those decisions so they are made by the territories themselves?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

First of all, establishing an indefinite moratorium for new Arctic offshore oil and gas in federal waters was the right thing to do. We have been working on five-year science-based reviews that focus on marine and climate change science in the Arctic and offshore Arctic. They are continuing. They will inform the next steps of Arctic oil and gas development.

We are in constant communication with Inuit rights holders and all three territorial governments on the moratorium. We are working on an accord that will focus on shared priorities and green alternatives for—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Regarding the decision to continue the moratorium, is it going to be indefinite? Is that what you just said?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

As always, we are basing our future decisions on science.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Then it's not going to be a decision that was.... I think the promise was that decisions were going to be given to the territories to make themselves, but I'll move on.

My last question is about home heating.

Northern families are worried about how they're going to get through this winter. Some families could be paying more than $7,000 this year just to heat their homes. We've been in touch with a single mother who's working two jobs in the Yukon and was recently hit with an $1,800 fuel bill to fill her tank to start the winter. That tank will have to be filled three more times before the winter is done. This is why we asked the Prime Minister in question period about removing the carbon tax on home heating. All we get back is that it's a luxury and that it needs to be taxed.

Minister, I think you know that heating a home to stay warm this winter is certainly not a luxury to northerners. Families literally have to make a decision between turning up the thermostat to stay warm and buying food.

What's your response to the removal of carbon tax on home heating?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

First of all, we are totally aware of the realities of Canadians and specifically northerners. It's important to note, as your party seems to not realize this, that the price on pollution does not cost Canadians anything. They are rebated the cost of the price on pollution in every territory and every province—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Minister, it's been proven that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Mr. Zimmer, your time is up, unfortunately. Let the minister finish answering the question and then we'll move on.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

We are completely aware of the affordability issues across our country. I'm happy to say that this is why we brought in $10-a-day day care. I'm happy to say that Nunavut was the very first territory or province, as of December 1, to reach the $10-a-day day care goal. That will save Nunavut families thousands of dollars over the next year. That's why we brought it in.

We brought in dental care for all Canadians. There are over 60,000 applications for help with dental care. That will help people all over the country.

Also, we indexed the Canada child benefit to inflation. That's putting literally thousands of dollars into the pockets of Nunavut families.

All three are initiatives that your party voted against.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

The only reason I'm asking this is that the minister has referred to the number of houses that were built and he has documentation to show that. I think he's claiming that. I ask that he table it for the committee for us to study, because according to my records, zero have been built. I'd like him to table it and at least inform us of where those are being built and how many.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Could I respond to that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Yes, please.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I answered that question. I didn't have a precise number for how many homes were built. I'm sure the public service could find you something in the days to come, but I don't have it.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Minister. I will ask you, if your ministry can, to provide that information to the committee, please.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you.

With that, we'll go to Mr. McLeod.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I welcome the minister and his team.

I'm listening to the housing discussion with a lot of interest. It's still a big issue in the north and all across the Arctic. I'm very happy with the investments that we've been seeing from our government in the last number of budgets.

In my previous life, I was the minister of housing for the Government of Northwest Territories. It was very difficult to access federal funding for housing. We did get a couple of million dollars from the government of the day, the Conservative government, but we got absolutely no indigenous housing money—not a penny. It wasn't until this government got into power that money started flowing from Indigenous Services into the Northwest Territories for indigenous housing.

Now we have rapid housing money flowing, co-investment funding for affordable housing and homelessness and, on top of that, the stream from Indigenous Services. I'm quite excited about that.

I'll give you the opportunity to give us an update on the progress made and on some of the work that has happened with the territorial governments and indigenous partners.