Debates of Nov. 2nd, 2020

Citizenship Act

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Madam Speaker, for 10 years, when the Conservatives were in power, there was very little hope among the indigenous population of this country. We saw many attempts to muzzle indigenous people. We are now making progress. We are on the right path. Progress is not as fast as we expected it to be, not as fast as we want it to be, but we are heading in the right direction.

It took 150 years to get to this point, and it may take just as long to see reconciliation take place. I am hoping that things will happen more quickly, but I am convinced that it will be many generations before we see true reconciliation, and that means everyone has to do their part.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was endorsed by our government in May 2016, which was after many years of the previous Conservative government not being willing to do so. When we did move forward on this piece of legislation, we did not see strong support from a number of parties, and that included people in the Senate.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Madam Speaker, my colleague from the Northwest Territories mentioned reconciliation and rooting out racism across Canada. I appreciate his comments on that.

I want to speak about northern Canada. Obviously there are many gaps for indigenous peoples and all people living in northern Canada. I hear a lot from people across the Northwest Territories about transportation and infrastructure. These investments are very important for the north and the government has failed in many aspects to support those projects, which could be a catalyst to development and provide a better way of life for many people across the north.

I would like to hear the member's comments on that.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Madam Speaker, infrastructure is very important to us, especially in the area of transportation. We have very few roads and most of the airports in our communities are very small. However, there have been some very important investments made by the Liberal government. Over the last fives years, I have made many announcements on behalf of the government and some of them have really taken hold. We are going to see some very good results. We have seen investments in airports, which are now under construction. Within the next year, we will be cutting the ribbon on a road to Whati, a very important road to that community but also to a mine development project that will probably take off once the road is completed.

We could do more, but we have a pretty good track record up until now.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be able to rise today as the member of Parliament for the Kenora riding, rejoin this debate and speak to Bill C-8, an act to amend the Citizenship Act in accordance with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action 94.

I must mention that I am very glad to be sharing my time today with the great member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley. I will add that I appreciate that Elections Canada gave me such an easy riding name compared to that.

This legislation we are debating today will add a new line to the Canadian citizenship oath, where new Canadians will be explicitly noting and making mention of indigenous and treaty rights. I must say this is something I am very happy to see moving forward. It is a topic I have been having many conversations about in my riding. I have spoken with chiefs, community leaders and residents of first nations in my riding to get their thoughts on this. More specifically, I have been asking a lot about what true and meaningful reconciliation should look like and I have been doing a lot of listening.

The Kenora riding is home to many indigenous peoples. There are 42 first nations in my riding. There are many Métis and indigenous people living within the nine municipalities or the rural unincorporated areas of my riding. My riding also encompasses three distinct treaty territories, so reconciliation is definitely an issue that is top of mind for many in my riding, but over and over I hear the same things. People are not looking for platitudes and empty gestures; they are looking for real action. There are obviously a lot of different opinions on what that looks like, but I think it is important to note that each and every one of us in this House all know and should recognize that every party, every government has taken some very positive steps to address the gaps that exist between indigenous and non-indigenous Canadians. Likewise, every party has had some missteps and frankly some failures on this file.

Under the last Conservative government, the official residential school apology was issued and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was launched. All these years later, I believe it is time that we can all work together to deliver on the intent of that commission. Too often reconciliation is used as a buzzword by politicians for political purposes. Many very serious issues that need to be addressed fall by the wayside in exchange for these platitudes and empty gestures that have no meaningful impact on the everyday lives of indigenous peoples. I note this because it is important we make sure the intent of this bill, which I believe wholeheartedly is positive, is not lost and that we continue to make tangible differences in the lives of indigenous people across the north and across Canada.

As I have noted, I have spoken with many chiefs in my riding about this bill. They are supportive of the bill and of the government fulfilling this aspect of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. However, they have noted to me that if we just simply change the citizenship oath without taking action to improve the social and economic well-being of indigenous peoples it will lose its power and in many ways lose its meaning. That is why we must support economic growth in northern communities, equitable health care options, improved infrastructure and education, and of course we must ensure that clean drinking water is available to each and every person living in Canada.

Right now in my riding the community of Neskantaga has had to evacuate after its water system shut down completely leaving the community without any water. It has been under a drinking water advisory for 25 years. There are people living in that community who have lived their entire lives without any access to clean drinking water. It is something that is unimaginable to most Canadians, yet it is a reality for far too many in the north and across Canada, particularly many in my riding who have been living under drinking water advisories for far too long. I want to note something. I was having a conversation with someone in my riding about the stark differences between some of the communities I represent and being here in this magnificent place.

All we have to do is wave our hands and someone brings us water, or we can go to the lobby behind me and we have our choice between flat or bubbly, a little lime or lemon, and jazz it up however we want, but there are people in the communities I represent who have never had access to clean drinking water. It is important that we all take time to acknowledge that and reflect on the two faces of Canada, if I can use that term.

That is why I was incredibly disappointed that the government walked back from its promise to end all long-term drinking water advisories on reserve by next year. There are recent reports from CBC saying that the government may miss this mark by years. It is unacceptable that people in our country do not have access to clean drinking water and it is unacceptable for the government to push this down the road.

There is a broader lack of infrastructure in many northern communities across my riding, across the territories and across Canada, whether it is housing, road improvements or the Internet. As we have experienced in the debate today, there are problems with the Internet. I make note of all of these because these tremendous gaps exist in my riding and in many others. In communities like Cat Lake, there is a housing shortage, there is overcrowding and many of the homes that are available have structural problems, mould or other long-standing issues.

On the Internet aspect of it, many communities do not have access to the Internet. These residents are not able to potentially attend school or access government services. This pandemic has shown us that Internet access is not a luxury but a necessity. Unfortunately, many indigenous peoples in many indigenous communities have some of the worst Internet connections or lack of connection of anyone else across Canada. These are important things that we must work on as well.

I already mentioned health care gaps. Given the remoteness of many communities in my riding, which are accessible only by flying in or by winter road, there has been chronic underfunding or poorly prioritized funding and mismanagement by the federal government, which has left many with poor health care service options. We must do more to ensure that each and every person living in Canada has access to equitable health care and, of course, that must include the north.

I believe in the importance of economic support as well and the role that economic development and economic diversification of the north can play in providing many opportunities to northern and indigenous communities. By working together to create good jobs and ensuring that revenues stay in the north, everyone can benefit from this responsible development. It is something I have seen in my riding with Grand Council Treaty #3, which signed a historic resource revenue-sharing agreement with the Province of Ontario. We must do more of that collaboration and ensure that economic growth is part of our reconciliation discussion and the process, as I believe it can help us reach many of our other aspirations.

All that being said, I do believe in the spirit of this proposal and that this is a very positive step, so long as concrete actions on the many issues that I have outlined can be addressed. It is important for new Canadians to understand the value of treaty rights and indigenous rights. Perhaps, as many community leaders in my riding have pointed out, this could be an opportunity for further education on the history of Canada, the good and the bad, so that every Canadian, whether new to our country or with a family that has been here for generations, can understand why reconciliation and upholding treaty rights are so vital.

I definitely want to acknowledge that this is one of the most important things. It cannot get lost in this discussion. I urge my colleagues, especially those in government, to work with the opposition and all parties to ensure we do not let politics get in the way of taking true, meaningful actions and bringing forward tangible items that will improve the lives of indigenous peoples across Canada.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Madam Speaker, I picked up a bit on the member for Kenora's comment about reconciliation being used as a buzzword and the rhetoric of what “reconciliation” is really supposed to mean for a nation-to-nation relationship.

While I agree this bill is important, we have discussed today that this is slow progress. It has taken six years for us to get to a relatively simple recommendation from the TRC. There are huge issues at play. The member talked about water as a human right being an issue that is not being addressed quickly enough. The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is lagging behind. The murdered and missing indigenous women and girls action plan is lagging behind.

I would like to hear from the member if he agrees that these are ultimately the actions of a paternalistic government under a highly colonial system.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Madam Speaker, my colleague from London touched on many different aspects. I will try my best to touch on all of them in the time I am permitted.

She noted the buzzwords and the politics around it. While the issue we are debating today is a positive step and a positive symbol, as I am sure she agrees, it is relatively easy and it is definitely not high on the priority list for many communities and many indigenous people in my riding. As I noted in my speech, a community in my riding is evacuating right now because of the lack of clean drinking water.

When I speak to chiefs and indigenous people in my riding, they often tell me that this is a great proposal and a positive step. However, they want to know why we are wasting our time debating this in the House right now when there are much more pressing issues that can be addressed. I hope to see the government take more solid action on many of those areas as well.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague said that the Liberal government is not doing enough, and I think many people would agree. The government seems to be focusing more on symbolic gestures than on actions. Of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's 94 calls to action, only 10 have been implemented.

I wonder why my colleague's party voted against this bill during the previous parliamentary session. Would we not have made a little more progress had his party voted in favour?

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the Bloc Québécois holding the opposition to account. Meanwhile, on this side of the House, closer to the Speaker, we are focused on working with the government and, yes, holding the government to account when we need to.

As I have mentioned many times, I do not think we should be making these issues political. We recognize that every government, every party and every one of us, I am sure, has made some mistakes and some missteps on the path to reconciliation. I am focused on what is happening right now, looking to the future and to how we can support all people and all indigenous people across Canada.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Speaker, when my colleague from Kenora started his speech, he made a comment about the name of his riding. As members know, I come from Oshawa, which in Ojibwa means the crossing place. It comes from the term aazhaway. That fact that the bill moves forward so new Canadians understand the importance of our history is extremely important, and I think everybody agrees on that.

My colleague has a great perspective. He comes from the north, with many indigenous people in his community. I wonder if he could comment on what he hears are the greatest priorities of indigenous people in his community; and, specifically, if he could comment on resource development and how the current government's policies affect that. It is important for our future as Canada.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Madam Speaker, there are so many things we could touch on. As I mentioned in my speech, my riding has the historic resource revenue sharing agreement between Grand Council Treaty No. 3 and the Province of Ontario. I know that resource development is very important to many first nations communities across my riding and across the north. It is a catalyst for us to be able to improve the way of life for many people across the north.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, every day I think about how lucky I am to be a Canadian. There is simply no better country in the world. Our nation is seen as a beacon of hope by so many. Whether it is the natural beauty of our environment, the kindness of Canadians, our robust free market economy or the right to live in a free society that seeks to honour and protect the rights of its citizens, we are truly among the most fortunate.

However, Canada has not always been as just as we would like it to be. Certain groups have faced more challenges than others. Indigenous Canadians are one of those groups. The treatment of indigenous peoples is a stain on our history, and we cannot forget about the injustices of the past; we must learn from them.

As a Jewish Canadian, the term “never again” always comes to mind. The commitment of never again is a solemn pledge to never let hatred and injustice take control of our society, to never let genocide take place, to never stand idly by while bad actors motivated by something sinister wipe out those who seem to be getting in their way.

As scholar and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said:

I swore to never be silent.

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

We are all here as elected officials, 338 out of 38 million Canadians. These 38 million Canadians expect us to get it right. We have no option but to be successful in these efforts.

The process of reconciliation is vital and fundamental to the future of our society. As Canadians, we need to have the difficult conversations necessary to ensure indigenous Canadians can live in a more equitable society for all.

As Senator Murray Sinclair said:

The road we travel is equal in importance to the destination we seek....When it comes to truth and reconciliation we are forced to go the distance.

It is hard to believe the enormous challenges that still exist today for indigenous communities. How is it possible that we live in a country where boil water advisories still exist? It is 2020, and we are witnessing technology development like we have never seen before. We have cellphones that possess 100,000 times more of the computing power than it took to land Neil Armstrong on the moon, and yet we still cannot find a way to get clean running water to indigenous communities.

Before having the honour of serving my community in this place, I was an elected member of Winnipeg City Council. In my time there, we made great progress in advancing initiatives for our city to come together and explore what reconciliation truly means. Just after I was elected to council on January 22, 2015, Maclean's magazine published a story calling my city a place where racism was at its worst.

We could have protested Maclean's assertion, but instead we embraced our own call to action and did what we could do, as Senator Sinclair said, “to go the distance.” That call was to take immediate and proactive steps to make reconciliation more than just a word on a page.

I remember the day vividly. I was driving to city hall when the story came out. Mayor Brian Bowman called an emergency meeting of community stakeholders in both indigenous and non-indigenous communities. I remember partaking in a traditional smudging ceremony that morning in the mayor's office, where we came together with indigenous leaders to express our desire to do better.

As Winnipeggers, we did do better. I want to tell members what we did. In 2015, the year of that article, we held the ONE: The Mayor’s National Summit on Racial Inclusion at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, bringing together many leaders and community members into a think tank of compassion to tackle racism in all its forms.

The following year, the mayor declared 2016 to be the year of reconciliation, and we instituted mandatory indigenous awareness training for all employees and councillors in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action 57. I attended those sessions.

That same year, we invested $10 million towards the building of the Freedom Road project, which built an all-weather road, not in Winnipeg, but to Shoal Lake 40 first nation on the Manitoba-Ontario border. It was completed just over one year ago.

This community has supplied fresh water to Winnipeg for over 100 years and yet has spent decades under a boil-water advisory. I was proud to share a small role as the chair of finance in correcting this tragic irony and historic injustice. We took action, Freedom Road was built and a new water treatment plant is well under construction.

In 2017, we unanimously adopted Winnipeg's first indigenous accord and I was proud to be among its first signatories. This accord marked the beginning of new conversations about the future, as well as a commitment to make our community more inclusive. It provided the framework for indigenous and non-indigenous citizens from across Winnipeg to keep moving forward in our reconciliation journey. I worked alongside my council colleagues to look inward and talk about what we could do to be better as a city. We chose unity over division and worked to amend the wrongs of the past. We worked to foster a positive public dialogue about reconciliation with indigenous groups across our communities to ask them how we could do better. I have no doubt that each of my colleagues from here and across Canada share these goals.

If we could do all those things in Winnipeg, we in this place can do so much more. Canada is a nation of immigrants that stands on the traditional territories of and shoulder to shoulder with first nations, Inuit and Métis people. In fact, as many people have acknowledged today, we are gathered right now on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin people.

Canada is one of the few countries in the world where indigenous and treaty rights are constitutionally entrenched. I firmly believe that educating all Canadians about these rights is an important step on the path to reconciliation. I am pleased to join my Conservative colleagues in supporting treaty rights and the process of reconciliation with Canada's indigenous peoples and in supporting this bill. In fact, our party's policy declaration acknowledges this fact where it says that it is a fundamental obligation of the federal government to improve the living conditions of indigenous Canadians, including Inuit, in terms of economic opportunities, health, education and community safety.

I have spoken to countless new Canadians who have become citizens of our great country. The day they get to stand and pledge their allegiance to Canada is the affirmation of many years of hard work and struggle. The oath represents opening the door to new opportunities and new beginnings for many who have escaped war-torn countries, genocide, human rights abuses or were simply looking for a better life for them and their families. As a part of this proposed bill, new Canadians must swear or affirm that they will observe the laws of Canada, including indigenous rights. Becoming a new Canadian involves learning about our constitutional rights and understanding the history of Canada's relationship with indigenous peoples and the need for reconciliation.

The changes proposed by this bill to the oath of citizenship, namely the addition of recognizing constitutionally entrenched rights for indigenous Canadians, will be an important lesson for all those looking to make Canada their home. This will signal that reconciliation with indigenous Canadians is among our highest priorities and we welcome new Canadians to become part of this journey.

Our society is plagued by voices who continue to call for hatred and discrimination. As Canadians, we must be better than this. We cannot succumb to these calls. We must respect the truly important work that was done by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and work together to ensure that reconciliation is a part of Canada's present and future.

In closing, we have lots of work to do, not only as legislators but as Canadians. We need to ensure that we do our part in building a better future for all Canadians. We need to build an inclusive society where Canadians from all walks of life can feel safe, secure and be afforded the fundamental rights and freedoms granted to them as citizens of our great nation. We need to continue to have those uncomfortable conversations and remember the dark chapters of our past as we move forward on the path toward reconciliation.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Madam Speaker, I liked hearing my colleague's words about how important it is that we deal with things like boil-water advisories, and how important it is that we deal with the calls for action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the calls for justice from the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls tribunal. My problem is that sometimes I feel like the Conservatives pick and choose when they want to support indigenous rights and when they do not.

The former leader of the Conservative Party, the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle, said that his primary concern with the bill was that recognizing indigenous rights to free, prior and informed consent would hurt the economy. I wonder if the member could speak about the need to not pick and choose which indigenous rights we fight for and when we stand up for indigenous peoples in our country.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, the reality is that while members of the NDP want to take partisan political shots at us and want to focus on us, we are focused on Canadians. The things I described that we did in Winnipeg, we did in a year. The government has been in power for six years and only today are we discussing changing the oath.

There is so much more we can do, and I really understand the frustration in indigenous communities about how long things take, because I know we can do things faster.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, it was literally weeks after the 2015 election that the government, under the Prime Minister, took actions, whether it was the public inquiry or a series of responses to the calls to action, some of which were brought to the House. Others are still ongoing and in discussion because the federal government has an obligation. However, not all the calls to action are purely for the federal government. Seventy-four are directly for us, but some of them require working with other jurisdictions.

Would the member agree that it is important for us to focus not only on the calls to action, but also on the monetary aspect, Freedom Road, systemic racism and so forth? There are other issues, and as a government, as an elected body, we have to deal with a number of fronts to hopefully move the issue of reconciliation forward.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, I agree with the member: I do not think that this is or should be a partisan issue. This should be an issue where we can reach across the aisle and work together. However, the changing of the oath should have been done six years ago. I was just elected a year ago, and I am not sure why, six years after the government was elected, we are finally debating this legislation. As I said, in Winnipeg we did all of the things I described in a year.

As far as the hon. member's question is concerned, I do agree that some calls to action are within the jurisdiction of the federal government and some are within the jurisdiction of other levels of government. As Canadians and legislators, we all need to work together to try to move this file forward.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, it seems to me that in the government's approach to indigenous rights, it tries to pick some of the easier-to-solve problems. Maybe it changes the wording of the oath or something like that. However, there are many larger, deeper systemic issues, including creating opportunities for economic development for indigenous Canadians, that the government has not really been moving forward on. It seems to want to identify symbolic issues, but there are many big issues that are top of mind for indigenous Canadians that it has been totally absent on.

I wonder if the member could speak more about the notion that the government needs to focus on large issues, challenging issues, that will concretely, substantially improve the lives of indigenous Canadians.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Madam Speaker, I think it would have been far better to spend this entire day talking about how to bring clean and usable drinking water to indigenous communities or how to bring economic development projects to indigenous communities. As I said, we should have passed this change to the oath years ago. The progress on this file has been very slow, and we can only really lay the blame for that at the feet of the current government.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Madam Speaker, today we are talking about truth and reconciliation. While there are many clauses within the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, one of the biggest things is a commitment to education and a commitment to finding out ways in which we as a country can move forward.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission points out that many of the education systems in Canada have not had the same education as those on reserve. They learned about their rights, their history and the legacy of the residential schools. It is important that we look at and focus on ways we can move the bar further on this long journey of reconciliation.

We are talking about immigration and new immigrants to this country. There have been new immigrants welcomed by indigenous people for more than 400 years. For 400 years, we have shared resources, our values and our ways of surviving, and that is an important part of this. We hope that with the passage of the bill, we will be able to look at new ways for new immigrants to hear from indigenous people about how we have kept the country and our resources plentiful for the past seven generations and how we plan to do it for seven more generations.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Is the hon. member going to have a full 20-minute speech or a 10-minute speech? You will have either 18 minutes or eight minutes to finish your speech.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Madam Speaker, my speech will be 10 minutes. I will be splitting my time with the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Telecommunications

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Madam Speaker, last week, I had the opportunity to ask a question of the minister on rural broadband. I asked her specifically to not give an answer about who installed more or invested more money in broadband, whether it was the Liberal government, former Prime Minister Harper or Sir John A. Macdonald. The minister proceeded to tell me that the government had invested more money than former prime minister Stephen Harper did and did not provide an answer to the question.

I put that answer out to my constituents and asked if this was an answer they felt addressed their issues and concerns. Unsurprisingly, the result was a resounding no. Residents in my riding are fed up with the lack of affordable and reliable Internet, and they got back to me in droves. I am going to share a couple comments I received.

I received a comment from Jim, who said, “We use Rogers Rocket hub and as now with COVID, I work from home and my daughter has come to live with us from the city. Our monthly bills have topped $700 a month. It is completely unacceptable.”

Marion writes, “We also have a Rogers hub. It gobbles up the data and at this point we actually had a bill of $400 in one month. This is when our grandchildren came to stay with us and they were trying to do school work from home.”

Leanne writes that she chose to send her children back to school because she knew they did not have reliable and affordable Internet at home. Her concern is, “I have sent my children back to school where they could be exposed to COVID because we do not have reliable Internet at home and the cost is astronomical.”

Charles talks about how for years he contended with a $300 monthly bill. He asked why the government could not invest to fix this. He has children in Ottawa who pay less than one-third of that price and get high-speed Internet.

Lai says in her email, “Pardon my language,” so I am going to pardon her language as I read this. She says, “Internet in Mansfield sucks. I cannot get any providers that give me more than 5 Mbps or sometimes 6 Mbps with a DSL connection. Are we living in the stone age in Mansfield?”

This is what is going on in my riding every day. The Internet is unreliable and unaffordable. My constituents are tired of glib answers like, “Well, we invested more than the previous government did” and “Wait, maybe something exciting is coming down the pike.”

They need answers now. They need affordable Internet now. When are they actually going to be connected to reliable, affordable broadband?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Madam Speaker, I am very happy to respond to the hon. member for Dufferin—Caledon about the need for Canadians in rural communities to have access to reliable and affordable telecommunications services.

Our government recognizes the importance of broadband and mobile services for all Canadians to fully participate in the digital economy. We know the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced how critical these services are to our economy, our communities and our society as a whole. Our government does have a plan to connect all Canadians, no matter where they live, to the high-speed Internet services everyone needs to work, to learn and to keep in touch with loved ones. We are committed to connecting all Canadians, even the hardest to reach, by 2030.

Through several coordinated initiatives, we have made billions of dollars available, and we are already seeing progress. Under the connect to innovate program, the government is investing over $585 million to improve high-speed Internet. Partners in the private sector, the provinces and the territories have provided significant co-funding, and the investments total more than $1.2 billion. Connect to innovate is delivering real results.

We anticipate bringing improved Internet connectivity to over 975 communities, 190 of which are indigenous communities. This will improve access for approximately 390,000 households and 1,200 anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries and medical facilities across the country from coast to coast to coast.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, is also taking action to expand Internet and sell access through its $750-million fund. The first five projects announced under the CRTC's fund will connect over 10,000 households in 51 communities, the significant majority of which are indigenous communities.

Building on these efforts in budget 2019, the government announced historic investments of $1.7 billion in broadband, our country's single largest investment to advance these goals.

As indicated in the recent 2020 Speech from the Throne, the government will accelerate the connectivity timelines and ambitions of the universal broadband fund to ensure that all Canadians have access to high-speed Internet. The government has been engaging with stakeholders to ensure the fund responds to rural needs, and we look forward to a program launch very shortly.

We will also take advantage of other measures to promote rural access. This includes investments in low-earth orbit satellites to ensure that even the most challenging northern and beautiful remote areas have access to increased investments for broadband from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, as well as spectrum policy tools and accelerated investment incentives.

Finally, the government is working with the telecommunications industry to ensure that Canadians stay connected and Canada's networks remain resilient in these challenging times.

In conclusion, the government is committed to ensuring all Canadians have universal access and is rolling out a number of important initiatives to realize that objective. I look forward to working with my colleague across the House to make sure we connect all Canadians.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Madam Speaker, by that answer, 2030 is when the Liberals are saying everyone will be connected. They are already behind, so I do not believe they are going to meet that deadline. That is 10 years from now, so I guess the answer I get to tell Jim, who is paying $800 a month for Internet, which is $9,600 a year, is that it is only going to cost him another $96,000 to continue with his slow, unaffordable Internet.

I got a partial answer: 2030. Great, that is awful for my constituents.

There was no answer on affordability. What is going to happen with affordability? Could the member please tell me that I do not have to tell Jim he is going to pay $96,000 for his Internet over the next 10 years, while the government does nothing?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Madam Speaker, I have some words for Jim through the hon. member across the way.

Just this September, the member opposite's own community benefited from our investments in the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology project, which ensured that construction of up to $16.6 million in broadband infrastructure in Dufferin County and the Town of Caledon is now moving forward.

We have a strong track record of delivering results and we are going to build on that success as we add a brighter future for rural, remote and indigenous communities. Our government is going to continue to be a champion for robust and affordable access and an enabler of economic growth, innovation and social inclusion.

I am from a really rural riding and I understand the importance of connectivity. I am proud to be part of a government that has a plan to connect all Canadians. Work is under way every day, and in the next 18 months we will connect an additional 250,000 households to high-speech Internet.