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

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.

Thank you for coming here to give us a presentation.

I have a very short question regarding money. We're talking about supplementary funding and we're talking about money going to Nunavut government. What is targeted to the Tunngavik government? What are they planning to use it for?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Do you mean the Nunavut government or NTI?

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

I mean on the devolution—maybe the Government of Nunavut.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

On the devolution, there's progress and there are talks going on, hopefully in a productive way. I'm optimistic. Those are conversations we're having with the premier, NTI and Gwichʼin and Dene. I can't speak publicly about where that will be.

I don't know whether or not the question was more related to housing. In terms of housing, you know that the sums we've invested through the last budget—over $800 million over seven years—will not close that gap in Nunavut or any other of the regions.

I know that you had the opportunity to speak to Minister Vandal, and we need to keep investing. ITK has had a plan to move forward and close that gap.

The Government of Nunavut, as you well know, has recently asked us to move to their plan, the plan that they presented to the Prime Minister and me in supporting the government in its role as the territorial government to invest. It will take both the rights holders and the Government of Nunavut to work together, along with the federal government, to support those needs and all the communities that are crying out. They have been very responsible in putting together a plan. It's actually admirable, and they'll have to work through the finance to make sure it gets out.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]

Thank you.

My next question is very different from the last one. Last night we had an emergency debate about missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. They have to search for the body of Morgan Harris, and we thought it would be in the Prairie Green Landfill. Today we heard that they will stop all work there while they search for her body. Would you support their ceasing operations while they search for the body?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Thank you for that question.

I want to take a moment to thank the translator, as well, for their work.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Minister, before you go any further, I understand the bells have started.

Is it the will of the committee to continue for 20 minutes into the bells before we adjourn?

[The Clerk]

There seems to be consent around the table, sir.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Okay, we'll continue until 10 minutes before the vote. Thank you very much.

Please resume, Minister.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

It's devastating. I have spoken to the family of one of the victims. They are having to search the trash for their mother. No one should have to do that, and no one should be treated like trash in this country—in this case, it's taken on a very literal meaning. This is a space where, as far as we know or have been told, there are now human remains. I think it needs to be treated accordingly.

There are a number of facts I still don't have, and I need to get to the bottom of those.

I absolutely support these women in finding their mother, or in honouring her, should there be no ability to find the actual remains. That, I think, is the work we'll have to do. I am in communication with the mayor of Winnipeg and other folks to make sure these women are heard and treated with dignity and respect in a very difficult time. This is a site that has had successive deposits of refuse since July, when they appeared to know there were bodies there.

I don't discount the complexities of it, but we need to make sure in this country that we aren't treating people like trash. If there is a way to search, I think the efforts should be deployed. If that can't be done, we need to find a way to properly honour them. These are evolving conversations with the families. They may reinforce their perspective or change it, and I want to respect that space while that final determination is made.

I left the conversation with the family yesterday with a lot more questions than I thought I had in the first place. I'm still questioning a lot of things. I think we all should, as a country, when this happens, because for too long, indigenous people have not been treated the same way as other people when they go missing and turn out to be murdered.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut, interpreted as follows:]

Do I have time?

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

There are about 20 seconds left, Ms. Idlout. We're going to try to do a quick second round. You'll have another opportunity.

Is it Mr. Vidal or Mr. Schmale for five minutes?

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

It's Mr. Zimmer, actually.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Oh, it's Mr. Zimmer. I apologize. Please go ahead for five minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister Miller, for appearing today.

I'll get right to my question about a line on page 2-44 of the estimates: “Funding for the settlement of the Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River and West Moberly First Nations’ Treaty 8 Land Entitlement specific claims.” It's $673 million. I won't get into the smaller numbers.

Can you give me a breakdown of how much funding will be going to each community?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I'm not sure. This is a settlement that is obviously for people you represent federally. It's a game-changer for them. The government is paying their bills, so it's very important. I don't have the breakdown per community, though.

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

I don't want to interrupt, but I want to know more specifics around it.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

If that's publicly available, we could disclose it to you—

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

Please do.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

—but I don't have it. If the team has it, they should feel free to disclose it. If they can't, we could tell you why.

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

I also have questions about the breakdown for each community, and then even for those breakdowns.

Where's that money going? I represent those communities and their residents. I have a question I would share with many of them: How many of these dollars go to administrative costs or legal fees, and how many are actually landing in these communities, as they're meant to?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I can give you the general breakdowns. I don't have the rest—the legal fees and such.

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

That's fine.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

For Blueberry River, it's $252.6 million. For Doig River, it's $235.5 million. With respect to the Halfway River and West Moberly first nations, it is divided equally between the two.

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

You said you didn't have any specifics about whether it is going to administrative fees, etc. Without that specificity, can you at least break it down topically? Where is that money going?