Debates of Oct. 18th, 2022

National Ribbon Skirt Day Act

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Madam Speaker, the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women is another example of our very complicated history, of the multi-faceted nature of reconciliation, and that is why I feel this bill is so important. It holds up indigenous women, girls and two-spirited peoples in such a positive way. It is about celebration, and that has its own role in addressing the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women.

I have been a bit frustrated by the pace we are taking as far as addressing these injustices is concerned, but again it goes back to our individual ridings. I have seen incredible support by local communities. Fredericton had an incredible funding opportunity with our local friendship centre. Monoqonuwick is going to be a new space for women to feel safe and to receive programming on intimate partner violence. There is also social enterprise there and there will be housing options.

Again, these types of projects are going to have far-reaching impacts that will also help to deal with missing and murdered indigenous women, but I want to see that task force get to the real work as well.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I want to thank the member for sponsoring this bill. I have every respect for it, but unfortunately, it excludes Inuit cultural practices. I wonder if the member would be willing to see amendments to make sure all indigenous cultural practices are reflected in this bill.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Madam Speaker, I enjoy so much working with my hon. colleague from Nunavut on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Representation is critical. It is also important to recognize the diversity that exists across the nation. There is often a pan-indigenization that happens with a lot of legislation that comes through this House. I would certainly be open to having those discussions and ensuring it is adequately representing the Inuit community and culture as well. It is certainly something we will look to when the bill comes to committee.

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

I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:

Rideau Hall

Ottawa

October 18, 2022

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, signified royal assent by written declaration to the bills listed in the schedule to this letter on the the 18th day of October, 2022, at 4:56 p.m.

Yours sincerely,

Ian McCowan

Secretary to the Governor General and Herald Chancellor

The schedule indicates the bills assented to were Bill S-206, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (disclosure of information by jurors) —Chapter 12, and Bill C-30, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (temporary enhancement to the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax credit)—Chapter 13.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill S-219, An Act respecting a National Ribbon Skirt Day, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Madam Speaker, first, I would like to say that I am honoured to be able to speak today about national ribbon skirt day. I am honoured because I represent the people in my riding, but I also hope to lend my voice to other indigenous nations in Quebec. I am honoured because, today, I am wearing a ribbon skirt. I will come back to that later.

My riding includes two nations, the Innu and Naskapi nations, and I am proud to be their spokesperson and their MP and to be able to wear these colours as I present these ideas this evening. I salute them.

The Bloc Québécois is in favour of this bill. We have always sought to promote these relationships. In concrete terms, we have always taken action to be able to discuss and maintain a dialogue nation to nation. For us, it makes sense to showcase these symbols that are so precious and important to their traditions. We talked about it a bit earlier. The skirt itself is a statement on its own. I will come back to that later.

I would also like to thank Élise Vollant, a proud Innu woman from Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, an Innu community on the north shore or Nitassinan. Ms. Vollant made the skirt I am wearing today, a skirt that is very special to the Innu nation and particularly the community of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. It is a gift from the Innu nation, since it is a symbol that they want to see represented in all the traditional ceremonies and rituals, as it is usually done. For me, being white, it is truly a sign of trust and, at the same time, a request for me to walk with them. When wearing a garment like this, every step we take is for these people, these communities, these women, and it is their history that we think about.

I say tshinashkumitin to Élise Vollant and the entire community of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam for allowing us to think of them today and walk alongside them in a symbolic way in the House. I believe it is an important moment for the nation.

As I said earlier, the garment is a statement. We described it in several ways. These are fabrics, bright colours that have been transformed and evolved over decades or even centuries as contacts were made. It is truly the product of the relationships between the nations themselves and of their own history. The statement is transformed. We see in the garment itself all that history that the women want to pass on through tradition, language and culture. It is also a way of taking action.

Today, I am wearing a red dress. It is a colour that is particularly favoured among indigenous nations, and also among the Innu people. It has several symbolic meanings relating to the spiritual world and life. Again, the ribbons chosen by the Innu nation are orange, red and purple. Undoubtedly many people already see the strong symbolism of this skirt, in the orange that refers to the survivors of residential schools, to a painful history. At the same time, we want to move forward, heal and find the truth.

Through this skirt, the Innu nation reminds us that it is important for them to highlight this element. Again, there is a call for us to take action. That was for the colour orange.

There is also red, representing the missing and murdered women and girls. It is the famous red dress we have seen represented in recent years and that has also become a symbol. The skirt has therefore two symbols.

Finally, there is purple, representing Joyce Echaquan. I believe people are familiar with the story of Ms. Echaquan, who, because of horrendous racism, experienced horrors that no human being should endure. Ms. Echaquan’s story is remembered on this skirt.

For me, it is also a symbol of the fraternity between all communities. Ms. Echaquan was an Atikamekw woman and the Innu people represent her on their skirt. It is a symbol of the entire issue of the equity of fundamental human rights, the right to security and the right to life. This memory must be eternal. When we talk about truth, we also care about memory, because memory should help us avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

All these colours are symbolized in an image that I will quickly describe. We see a woman wearing the red skirt, eyes blindfolded, holding the scale, the symbol of justice. We also see purple. All the colours are there and they truly show the desire of the Innu nation, particularly the Innu of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam, to move forward and to always remember the survivors of the residential schools, the murdered or missing women and girls and the story of Ms. Echaquan, to finally achieve reconciliation.

Wearing a garment such as this is not about the fabric, the ribbons or the colours. It really sends a message. We are in a position where we can be interpreted and, at the same time, we can remember everything I have just said and remember that the nations are proud.

For me and for others, wearing this skirt makes sense. Despite that, some have noted that, for many people, it is not easy to wear the skirt in public. In fact, children, particularly in Saskatchewan, have received racist criticism and comments because they were wearing this garment. For me and the members of first nations, it is also an affirmation, a recognition of the past and of the people who came before them. It really makes a statement.

In short, I believe that we could talk about it for really long time, but it is more than just the garment. It is what I would like us to remember and I think and hope that the entire House will agree to make January 4 national ribbon skirt day, so we can remember our obligations and commitments to first nations and truly listen to what they have to tell us.

These garments show that members of first nations are strong and proud, and also that Canadians, and we, the elected members, have much work to do to perhaps be worthy of wearing a ribbon skirt. I am very proud to do so, but it also gives me a sense of duty that is humbling.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill S-219, an act respecting a national ribbon skirt day. This bill aims to further educate Canadians about the role of indigenous women and indigenous culture and heritage, and to celebrate those contributions. The ribbon skirt is a symbol of womanhood, identity, adaptation and survival. It is a way for indigenous women to honour themselves and their culture.

While national ribbon skirt day is an opportunity to celebrate indigenous women and their fortitude in the face of paternalism and colonialism, we can and must do more. The Indian Act perpetuates racism and sexism, and we must address this archaic and broken piece of legislation if we truly want to see all indigenous women and girls realize their vision of freedom, their vision of independence and their vision of honour.

The Indian Act was created by the federal government in 1876, a very different time with very different thoughts on the role of women and girls in society. The 1876 Indian Act explicitly stipulated that any first nations woman who married anyone other than an “Indian” or “non-treaty Indian” would themselves cease to be “Indian” under the meaning of the act. It adopted many of the concepts of its precursor legislation, including the ideas of assimilation and enfranchisement and the changing definition of “Indian”.

The 1951 Indian Act continued in this vein, introducing several sex-based rules governing entitlement to status, including the “double mother rule”, which revoked the status of individuals at the age of 21 in instances of two consecutive generations of mothers who were not born with entitlement to status; the “illegitimate female child rule”, which permitted the male children of status men born out of wedlock to register, but which did not entitle their female children to status; “the marry-out rule”, which caused first nations women to lose their status upon marrying a non-status person, but which permitted first nations men to extend status to their non-status wives; and involuntary enfranchisement, which revoked the status of first nations women and their children when their husbands became enfranchised.

Often led by the legal challenges of indigenous women, it was not until 1985, under then Conservative prime minister Brian Mulroney, that discriminatory parts of the Indian Act began to change. Thankfully, we have matured as a nation since then and we recognize and respect the power and potential in women and girls. However, many aspects of the Indian Act still perpetuate its 1876 paternalistic vision of indigenous women and girls.

The Indian Act denied women the right to possess land and marital property. Only widows could possess land under the reserve system. However, a widow could not inherit her husband’s personal property upon his death. Everything, including the family house, legally went to his children. Previous governments, including the previous Conservative government, have made amendments to update the act to eliminate sex-based inequalities. I would be remiss if I did not also recognize the work of the Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations and the Minister of Indigenous Services, who continue this important work, most recently on enfranchisement, deregistration and natal band membership.

In my my previous roles as the critic for families, children and social development and the critic for indigenous services, and in my two previous stints, and now my current stint, as the critic for Crown-indigenous relations, I have met with hundreds of stakeholders, women’s issues advocates and indigenous leaders over the years. On the Indian Act, the message, sadly, is always clear: The act is outdated, broken and paternalistic and it must go.

The government, the opposition, advocates and indigenous people all agree, so one question remains: What is next? How do we get to where we all want to be? As my colleagues in this place all know, that is never an easy answer. Indeed, there are many different approaches we could take: complete abolishment, a new act or a transitionary approach. There are many options, and many people have their own ideas.

However, all hope is not lost. We know a few important things. We know where we all want to be. We all know what we are willing to do and what needs to be done to get there. On this side of the House, the Conservatives support reconciliation and we support a proactive, inclusive process that puts a clear plan in place to achieve the results everyone wants.

While I know my colleagues across the way support reconciliation, and they have said so many times, there appears to be more reaction than planning from the government. As I have heard many times from community leaders, their faith in reconciliation with the government is sadly waning. One does not have to look far.

For example, in the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, we are currently examining Bill C-29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, a piece of legislation that has ignored the voices of indigenous women and girls.

Yesterday, the Native Women's Association of Canada president, Carol McBride, told the committee that she was disheartened to see that indigenous women were not included in Bill C-29. In fact, that bill only guarantees the seats of the AFN, ITK and MNC. Indigenous women literally do not have a seat at the table.

The Native Women's Association of Canada plays a unique role and could provide invaluable insight to the national council by providing culturally relevant, gender-based analysis; the lens of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; and specific expertise related to the concerns of indigenous women and girls.

Establishing a national council on reconciliation without the voices of indigenous women and girls is an oversight. It is an oversight Conservatives will correct and we will be putting forward amendments to ensure indigenous women and girls and their voices are heard on the council.

It has been three years since the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls report and the Liberal government has made little progress in the past year on its plan to end violence against indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people.

While there have been funding commitments, there has been little action. For example, the CEO of the Native Women's Association of Canada said this about the Liberal government’s record: “The National Action Plan, as it was drafted, was actually a recipe for inaction, and the people represented by our organization are paying the price.”

A poll conducted by Nanos Research last June found that Canadians are three times more likely to say the government has done a poor job addressing the MMIWG than a good job.

Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, chair of the National Family and Survivors Circle, lamented, “Without the political will to create transformative change, this genocide will continue.”

The continuous blunders and inaction are undermining indigenous faith in the Crown. Therefore, in the spirit of Bill S-219 and what it proposes, Conservatives will work very hard to put a plan in place.

On day one of forming a new Conservative government, we will hit the ground running. We will achieve this by listening and planning with indigenous leaders, national organizations and grassroots community members on what they need to achieve true reconciliation.

We will not confine ourselves to one aspect of reconciliation or another. Instead, we will take a holistic approach to reconciliation, one that recognizes the importance of economic reconciliation and what it has on restoring the honour, self-dignity and power to indigenous people.

We will facilitate a plan that empowers indigenous people to not only make their own decisions on water treatment, child services, public safety and entrepreneurship, just to name just a few, but also provide the economic power to achieve those objectives themselves.

We will, once and for all, eliminate the Ottawa-knows-best approach to indigenous relations, and we will do so with the principle that indigenous decisions need to be made by indigenous communities. We will ensure that those decisions include the voices of indigenous women and girls.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I welcome members back from break week. I had the wonderful privilege of going home to Iqaluit and then on to two of my communities, Taloyoak and Kugaaruk.

Bill S-219, an act respecting a national ribbon skirt day, is about preserving a cultural world view and the importance of ribbon skirts. It provides an opportunity for us to recognize indigenous cultures and the prominence of indigenous women. By passing the bill, we would increase opportunities to discuss the realities of indigenous women in Canada. New Democrats support the bill and will be suggesting some amendments.

All indigenous cultures since time immemorial have valued women the same way that we do men, children and elders. Through Christian and government colonization, indigenous women have become especially oppressed and subjected to atrocities. This has led to the ongoing genocide of all indigenous peoples, which must be redressed.

First nations, Métis and Inuit have different ways of showing respect in their communities to indigenous women. Inuit in Canada and internationally symbolize the strength of women through tattoos, a practice I am proud to see resurging after having been banned by the Catholic and Anglican churches.

In Taloyoak, I had such a wonderful visit with a beautiful Inuk women named Elizabeth Lyall. I thank her for feeding us delicious Inuit food during our visit. She talked about how important it is to have dreams. I honour her for having met each of her dreams and for still looking to make new dreams to help her family, friends and community. She truly inspired me, and I thank her.

I value the role given to me as critic for indigenous issues shortly after I was elected as a New Democrat. Before this time, I had limited exposure to first nations and Métis cultures. Since taking on this important role, I have felt privileged to learn much more about Métis and first nations. This morning, for example, I agreed to be a witness in the Moose Hide Campaign, which is a grassroots approach to addressing the violence against indigenous women by creating opportunities for men, and everyone, to appreciate the indigenous women in their lives.

Through the bill before us, I have learned about the importance of ribbon skirts, and I thank the sponsor of the bill.

Ribbon skirts have an important meaning for first nations and Métis women. The skirt is a symbol of strength, pride and hope. First nations and Métis women make their ribbon skirts to represent a direct connection to Mother Earth and her sacred medicines. I have learned that ribbon skirts in recent years have represented causes, including missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. For many first nations and Métis, wearing a ribbon skirt shows the strength of the lived experience of indigenous peoples here in Canada.

In addition to the cultural significance, this is also a matter of respecting indigenous rights, especially when so much has been done to indigenous peoples. Too many of us lost our identity, dignity and right to self-determination. It is important that action continues to be taken for indigenous peoples to be supported in regaining our strength for the indigenous peoples we are.

Article 15 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states, “Indigenous peoples have the right to the dignity and diversity of their cultures, traditions, histories and aspirations which shall be appropriately reflected in education and public information.”

Education is critical for Canadians to learn about the realities of how indigenous peoples were and continue to be treated. Systemic racism still exists. Indigenous peoples are subjected to discrimination and chronic underfunding, and they are still forced to live under colonial laws that ignore their inherent rights to govern and manage their own lands and laws.

Canadians need to learn more about indigenous heritage and culture to gain understanding of the lived experience of many indigenous women across Canada. In the 2015 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, data showed indigenous women are four times more likely to be murdered or kidnapped than any other Canadian.

The National Family Advisory Circle, Grandmother Circle, and Walking With Our Sisters are examples of inspirational indigenous groups that are fighting for justice for indigenous women across the country. Education is power. Too many indigenous women and girls have gone missing or have been murdered. Canadian law enforcement needs to take stronger action to protect indigenous girls and women.

We demand justice for indigenous women across the country who have gone missing or have lost their lives to violence. While this bill could have a positive impact on educating Canadians, there are a few areas where the bill could be improved.

First, all indigenous women must not be put into one generalized group. First nations, Métis and Inuit have different ways of affirming each other's strengths. The use of the ribbon skirt is but one of the many beautiful ways to acknowledge them. Second, this bill needs to include indigenous persons whose identities are outside the gender binary and who choose to symbolize the importance of wearing the ribbon skirts. Inclusion and creating a safe space for gender discussions for indigenous peoples must be a priority.

Women like Savanna Pikuyak have a right to feel safe in her home. Women like Joyce Echaquan should never have to face racism while seeking medical help. These stories continue to harm the lives of Inuit, Métis and first nations.

Without change in our laws and working towards reconciliation, nothing will get better. The journey to reconciliation is a long one, one that must be led by Inuit, first nations and Métis. This is one law that could lead to all Canadians joining in the journey to reconciliation.

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today on the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people to speak in support of Bill S-219, an act respecting a national ribbon skirt day.

I am grateful to my colleague, the member for Fredericton, for bringing this forward. I want to acknowledge the significant work and leadership of Senator McCallum on this important piece of legislation and the contributions of Chief George Cote of the Cote First Nation.

Each and every opportunity we have, that all of us have, to engage with and learn from indigenous culture is one that we should take and cherish. The bill before us represents an opportunity for Canadians of all backgrounds to learn about a unique and beautiful part of indigenous culture, the ribbon skirt.

The ribbon skirt is a deeply symbolic garment used in indigenous tradition and ceremony. Each one holds a very personal significance. They represent the sacredness of women in indigenous culture. They show pride in one's culture, heritage, resilience and identity. They are symbols of womanhood, survival and strength. They call to our attention injustice, including injustice for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

I want to encourage all of my colleagues and Canadians to listen to Senator McCallum's remarks at second reading. She recounts the story of Isabella Kulak, a 10-year-old student from Saskatchewan who proudly wore her ribbon skirt to school and was shamed by an educational assistant who said that her ribbon skirt was not the right choice for formal day. She went home and took off her ribbon skirt that day. However, her story soon spread far and away, and a multitude of support came in for Isabella from around the world.

On her first day back to school after she was belittled for wearing her ribbon skirt, there was a march held to walk her to class. Women wore ribbon skirts and men wore their ribbon shirts. Chiefs from surrounding first nations also attended. It was a triumphant affirmation of one girl's choice to celebrate and showcase her indigenous culture and to take pride in who she is. What a message to send and what a message we can help send by recognizing January 4 as national ribbon skirt day in Canada.

I will admit that I have personally been fascinated with ribbon skirts, their beauty, importance and symbolism. As a member of Parliament, my days are often booked morning to night, but I have taken a lot of time over the last number of months to do more research on ribbon skirts. There is something so empowering about donning such a visible symbol of one's heritage, of facing the world and of confidence in who one is and where one comes from, especially in the current moment of all those around the world who do not have the freedom to do so, or who are pushed to assimilate themselves or stifle and hide their identity.

All of us here know the long and shameful history of attempted erasure of our indigenous brothers and sisters. It is part of why I have been so interested in deepening my understanding of the role of ribbon skirts in indigenous culture.

On Canada Day, amidst the hassle of so many community events, I made a point to stop by the Mawio'mi being held on the Halifax Common. There was so much indigenous food, culture and crafts on display that day, and when I spotted The Sewing Guild fabric store's table, I was immediately struck by the beautiful fabric they had for sale.

I was not immediately sure what to do with the gorgeous black fabric I picked out, but the colourful dream catcher pattern on it called back to my mind many of the ribbon skirts that I had seen at powwows and indigenous events over the years.

From there I did a lot of research and I reached out to Elder Debbie Eisen, a pillar of the M'ikmaw community in Kjipuktuk. I am so grateful for everything she had to teach me about ribbon skirts, from how they are made to what they mean. With her guidance and skill, I set about crafting my own skirt. Together, we made a beautiful purple and black ribbon skirt with eight coloured ribbons. Every choice had significance and, as Deb explained, all of them speak to the character of the wearer in some way.

As Deb shared with me, the skirt is worn to honour our mothers, aunties and grandmothers, and to honour Mother Earth's soul. The long length of it connects the wearer to Mother Earth. When its length hits the foliage, Mother Earth knows a woman is walking upon her.

The ribbons call back to the 18th century when silk ribbons were an item of trade between settlers and indigenous communities. Each ribbon had its meaning and I selected eight of them. Red represents missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Green represents the foliage and Mother Earth. Blue represents the sky. Orange represents the survivors of residential schools. Yellow represents the east and Kjipuktuk. Pink is a feminine touch that accentuates the dream catchers in the design. The colour purple symbolizes womankind.

To me personally, the dream catcher pattern on the black fabric, with its multitude of colours, calls back to the idea of diversity and how we contain so much difference as people, yet we all come together as one. I was really struck by the statement it made when it all came together, and I was so honoured to have Deb and everyone at the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Centre join me in the project.

I am a proud Lebanese Canadian woman. I do not have an indigenous background, but I do have a deep respect for those who cared for this land long before the arrival of settlers and newcomers to Turtle Island. On this, Deb's words humbled me. She said, “The reasons behind your wanting to wear this ribbon skirt, and not only that but to make it yourself, show me that we are headed in a good direction.”

She shared with me an Algonquin prophecy of the seventh fire, of a time when people will be brought together by the talents they have and not the colour of their skin. She told me that every time she sees people who truly from their hearts want to respect indigenous culture, spirituality and ways, it solidifies for her that we are headed in the right direction. She continued, “We will hit brick walls along the way, but even brick walls crumble.” Deb lives in hope that will happen, and I share her belief in our collective ability to reconcile and move forward in respect and understanding together.

Today, indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people are wearing their ribbon skirts more often as a way to express pride and confidence in their indigenous identity and heritage. It is truly sparking something of a cultural revival, and I can think of a fantastic example from my province. Jahay's Quilting, a fabric store in Eskasoni, was started by Veronica Denny in her basement just over a year ago. Now she sells hundreds of ribbon skirt kits each season to customers all across my province, empowering them to honour their own culture and clan, while inspiring her granddaughter Jahay to make a skirt of her own one day. That is a beautiful thing to behold.

In closing, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to formalize what communities have already unofficially deemed national ribbon skirt day. This is one more step ahead for us all in our journey of reconciliation and one that I hope we can take unanimously. Let us vote to establish January 4 as a federal day of recognition, education and awareness of the ribbon skirt and of all indigenous regalia, cultures, traditions and heritage. Let us ensure every little girl can burst with pride about who she is, where she comes from and what she stands for.

Wela'lin. Meegwetch. Shukran.

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

The time provided for the consideration of Private Members' Business has now expired and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the Order Paper.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Government Business No. 20—Proceedings on Bill C‑31

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, a little earlier today, I used four minutes of my time before I was interrupted to go to Private Members' Business. I will now speak for my remaining six minutes while being mindful of the time allocated to me.

I talked about the reasoning behind supporting Bill C-31, which is really to make sure that we are not denying access to dental care, as well as not pricing people out in rental costs. It is about affordability.

Many of the things our government has been doing are to support Canadians because we realize affordability is a key issue. One-third of Canadians do not have access to dental care. What this bill proposes to do, over a two-year period, is to provide up to $1,300 for eligible children 12 years and under. The families will have to make less than $90,000.

I want to read a quote from the Canadian Labour Congress. It says, “Canada's unions welcome [the government's] investment in dental care that will give coverage to millions of Canadians - because everyone deserves a healthy smile”.

On the housing benefit, this will help two million Canadians and the support will be for those Canadians families making $35,000 or less, or for individuals making $20,000 or less, and paying more than 30% of their income on rental costs. This is in addition to the $4 billion we have put forward to help Canadians through rental support, cost-shared with the provinces and territories.

We are also helping with affordability, which is key here, because of the challenges that Canadians are facing financially today. Last week, we passed the doubling of the GST rebate for a six-month period. That was unanimous. Every member of the House voted in favour of that, and I want to thank them all because it will help 11 million individuals who file their income tax.

On affordability, the government also has the CCB, where we see nine out of 10 families receiving support. In my riding alone, it is over $5.5 million a month. That is over $70 million a year in my riding of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. I know it is a special riding, but every riding across the country, all 338 ridings, are receiving those types of supports. That is what is important.

Finally, on affordability, we are bringing in child care this year, which will lower the cost of child care by 50%. Those are direct supports to individual Canadians and families. It is so crucial.

Why and how can we do that? We are in a very good fiscal position. Let us not forgot that just before the pandemic, we had the lowest debt-to-GDP in the G7. Since the pandemic, we have increased that margin, which is very important. We still hold a AAA credit rating. That is very important.

Let us look at our economy. Canadians know that throughout the pandemic, we were there and we had the backs of Canadians. We were able to support Canadians through this global pandemic. We, the federal government, put in eight dollars for every $10 in support given to Canadians and businesses across the country. That is what we were able to do because our government was in a good fiscal position. We could bear the challenge of financing, compared to individuals and families, who would have been in a much more difficult situation.

Look where we are today. Over 21,000 jobs were created in the month of September. Today, we hold the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded at 5.2%. We have recaptured 113% of all the jobs that were lost. Those are big numbers. They are a strong reason why the government can move forward on topping up renters with $500 and bringing forward dental care to children under the age of 12.

Those are the types of decisions we need to continue to make to ensure all Canadians will benefit. That is the type of government we committed to being in 2015, in 2019 and in 2021. We intend to do more for all Canadians as we move forward.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Madam Speaker, to finish his speech, the member was talking a lot about day care, so I have a question from a constituent of mine. Her kids do not fit into the description of what the government has because they are no longer in the zero-to-five category. It is the after-school side of it the government is ignoring and lots of people have concerns around that. I am just wondering why it did not do anything to help people in that situation.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Madam Speaker, I want to remind my colleague that this is a partnership and we are working with the provinces. I would suggest that he speak with his province and talk to the provincial government to see how it can work with the federal government to bring forward those types of supports. That could be an added piece.

It is a good suggestion and we will take it under review.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Madam Speaker, I must admit that I am happy that my colleague finished his speech, because he was starting to get carried away. I was getting concerned. I like him a lot and want him to stay fit and healthy. That said, I congratulate him for his speech and I would like to ask him a question.

I know the intention is good, because, obviously, no one is against virtue or against good intentions. However, I wonder why the federal government insists on implementing programs that it has to manage, when programs already exist in the provinces. As everyone knows, this is the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces.

Why not just make things easier and give the money to the provinces so Quebec and the provinces can manage their own health system, their own dental care?

It would be much simpler. Quebec and New Brunswick, for example, already have dental care programs for children. They could have managed it themselves. The other provinces could do the same.

Would it not be easier to make transfers, like the premiers of Quebec and all the provinces are calling for?

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very important question.

I just want to remind him that only 4% of residents of the provinces receive the support they should be getting in terms of dental care. The federal government plays a supporting role, as it does with the health agreement. We are working together.

Yes, health is a provincial jurisdiction, but that does not mean that we will not ensure that Canadians in Newfoundland, Quebec and western Canada benefit from the same health care standards and the same support.

We want to ensure that that support is available to all children aged 12 and under, both in Quebec and across Canada.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague because the Liberal government is finally getting on board with the NDP and beginning to put in place a dental care plan. I know he spoke a lot about people struggling across the country, and I would agree with him. Winnipeg Centre, the riding I represent, competes to be the second- or third-poorest riding at any given moment.

One of the things we are having a crisis with is, of course, accessible and affordable housing with rent geared to income. Although the rent top-up, thanks to the NDP, is coming as an urgent response, I am wondering when his government will seriously address this human rights matter and ensure that everybody in Canada has access to affordable housing with rent geared to income, not this notion of affordable that is truly not affordable for most people in my riding who are living under the poverty line.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Madam Speaker, we realize that housing is very important, but we did not just realize it today. We realized it back in 2016, because we brought in the first-ever national housing strategy in the country. That was a big step. Now we are bringing in other pieces that are very important. We are bringing the rent-to-own piece. We have added the accelerated program so that we can take some of the older buildings in the communities and improve on them and build more housing for Canadians, affordable housing. We will continue to work together to make sure that all Canadians have access.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this House to speak to this important piece of legislation on behalf of the citizens of Vancouver Granville. This piece of legislation, which deals directly with measures related to dental care and housing, is going to provide immediate support to families across the country.

We have all talked about the fact that the global economy is facing serious challenges, which are causing real impacts here at home and around the world. Whether or not members want to believe it, inflation is in fact a global phenomenon. It has been caused by COVID-19, Putin's illegal and unjustifiable war on Ukraine and a variety of other factors. Life is getting more expensive and all of our constituents are hurting. Families are feeling the effects when they go to buy groceries and other staples.

In my riding of Vancouver Granville, affordability and the rising cost of living are top of mind. That is why the crucial supports needed in Bill C-31 will provide much-needed relief to Canadians now and will help ensure a healthy future for tomorrow.

Our government has put forward a concrete plan to make life more affordable and help my community and communities like it across the country get through these tough times. This bill, as we know, establishes two cost of living relief measures and provides crucial assistance to those who need it the most: first, through the creation of a new Canada dental benefit, and second, by providing a direct federal Canada housing benefit top-up payment of $500 to eligible renters who are struggling with the cost of housing.

We know that oral health is an important marker of overall health and that access to good dental care is essential, but one-third of Canadians do not have dental insurance, unlike everyone in this room, and one in five Canadians reported avoiding dental care because of the cost. When we talk about meaningfully addressing affordability, ensuring accessibility to quality dental care is important. It is important not just because of the long-term benefit to our health care system, but because poor oral health in kids has an impact on their future. I became a dad recently, so for me, children's health, and in particular dental care, is top of mind.

Here are some facts that we do not often want to talk about. Children with poor oral health are three times more likely to miss school as a result of dental pain. Absences caused by pain were associated with poorer school performance, but absences for routine care were not.

This has longer-term impacts on children, and here is some very boring scientific information. Sometimes we need to hear the facts behind why some things matter, and here are some of those facts. Bacteria that is trapped by plaque travels to major organs like the brain. Rather than focusing on growth and development, kids who do not have access to good dental care end up having consequences when the brain is battling inflammation. Oral health has an indirect impact on kids’ cardiovascular health. Kids with poor dental care who participate in sports and other activities will likely also suffer poor performance in sports. We also know that high levels of disease-causing bacteria in the mouth put children at a higher risk of clogging of the arterial wall and higher blood pressure.

That is a lot of information about dental care, something we probably do not talk a lot about in this House, but if we actually care about children, and the facts and the consequences, these should be reasons enough. No price should be too high to protect a child’s health and development.

The Canada dental benefit would provide dental care for families without insurance and an annual income of less than $90,000, starting with children under 12 this year. That means up to $650 per child under 12 tax-free. That is immediate financial relief to low- and middle-income families right now. Through this benefit, parents would be able to make sure their kids can see a dentist, prevent oral health problems from developing and address dental care needs sooner rather than later. This is another necessary step toward establishing a robust, sustainable long-term dental care program for all.

What I fail to understand is why anyone in the House would not support this measure. We all have the data that shows that dental care is critical to long-term health, preventing everything from heart disease to cancer and from dementia to kidney disease. If the Conservatives care about the fiscal bottom line, if not the health of Canadians, then this should appeal to them because good dental care in kids saves money for the health care system in the long term.

The Conservatives often tell us that this would be bad for the economy, but this morning the CEO of the Pacific Blue Cross, one of the biggest insurers in British Columbia, was in my office. He was unequivocal in his support for dental care for kids because he knows that it makes good economic sense. Preventative care saves money in the long term and it makes for healthier citizens. At a time when we all acknowledge that we must safeguard the resilience of our health care system, we must also realize that dental care will help support the long term viability of our health care system and, indeed, the health care indicators of all Canadians.

I want to turn to the second crucial component of this legislation, the housing top-up. Housing is where we continue the traditions of our past and plan our futures. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why we have made and continue to make historic investments to rapidly create more affordable housing. Our $72-billion national housing strategy, launched in 2017, and the $1.4-billion investment in housing in budget 2022 will go a long way to addressing some of the obstacles faced on the path to home ownership. This is a long-term strategy for the future.

However, at the same time, renters are facing increasing challenges today. From finding a safe place to call home to the high cost of living, affordable housing is becoming less and less attainable, and we need to step up now.

We know that those struggling with the cost of rent need targeted action immediately, and through this bill we are doing just that. By investing $1.2 billion to provide a direct federal Canada housing benefit top-up payment of $500, 1.8 million renters struggling with housing costs will receive assistance. This support is in addition to the $4 billion already invested to provide an average of $2,500 in direct financial assistance with the cost of rent through the existing Canada housing benefit. Crucially, this one-time top-up will not reduce other federal income-tested benefits, such as the Canada child benefit, the GST credit and the guaranteed income supplement.

Other key components of our plan to make housing more affordable include measures to double housing construction over the next decade, helping people save for and buy their first home and banning foreign ownership.

These are challenging times for everyone, but our actions now will undoubtedly define what our future looks like. By working together to make life more affordable for families and make sure kids get the dental care they need and by alleviating the cost of living, we are taking the steps necessary to be there for Canadians when they need the support most.

These are important priorities for our government, and I want to take this moment to acknowledge the hard work done by the member for Vancouver Kingsway in his advocacy on dental care for many years. Perhaps this could be the time that all of us in this House come together and vote to give Canadians the supports they need.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Madam Speaker, I have asked a question a couple of times today, and I still have not gotten a satisfactory answer, so my question for the member who was just on his feet is this: Has he consulted with the B.C. health minister? The health minister would not answer this question, but has anyone in his party talked to any provincial health minister in the country who has said that this $10-billion program is at the top of their wish list? We all know health is provincial jurisdiction. I would like an answer from someone on that side about whether they consulted with the provincial health ministers about this program before they brought it to the floor of the House of Commons.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Madam Speaker, one of the things that I think health ministers across the country would say is that the government has done a tremendous job of consulting with them on a variety of health care matters, and has done far less damage, I would argue, to the health care system than the previous government did when it chose to gut transfer payments to the provinces for health care.

One of the most important things about the bill is that it helps the provinces support many of the plans they have, and where provinces do not have coverage for kids, it is something they could actually benefit from. Frankly, the benefit to provincial health care systems from kids with good oral health is not just a today thing. It is an outcome that delivers value today and in the future.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Madam Speaker, I just heard the question from the hon. member for Regina—Lewvan about whether dental care was a priority for provincial governments, so I guess my question for the member for Vancouver Granville is whether he has found the same thing that I found in my riding: that dental care is definitely a priority for seniors and definitely a priority for families, and that any money we spend on this program, despite those partial provincial programs that do exist, would save provincial governments money. For those people who are asking for dental care, we are beginning with families with kids under 12 and then are extending it to people with disabilities, and eventually seniors and everybody who earns less than $90,000. That is where the demand is coming from. It is from constituents in my riding.

I want to know if the member for Vancouver Granville shares that experience.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Madam Speaker, the member's reflections on what he is hearing in his riding are exactly what I am hearing in mine.

I have families that are struggling. I have seniors and young families that would benefit from the support. I also have a large number of people who work in health care, particularly doctors and nurses. They have all said that dental care would improve the long-term health care indicators of Canadians, and would reduce the burden on the health care system long term.

These are investments that help provincial health care systems save money in the long term. We can make all the decisions we want for the short term, but they provide long-term benefits for a sustainable health care system for the future. That is what we need to be doing together.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I also heard the question from my other colleague.

As I already said today, this bill was announced on the same day that seniors' groups were addressing Government of Quebec health care officials, demanding assistance with dental care. We know that children aged 10 and under are already covered in Quebec.

When the Government of Canada announced this bill, the seniors' groups said that it was not the right place. They wanted to speak to the Government of Quebec, which is responsible for dental care.

What seniors in my riding want is for the federal government to increase health transfers to cover 35% of costs so that Quebec's department of health can take care of them and make decisions about dental care.

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Vancouver Granville, BC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her comments and her question.

We need to pay attention to our seniors. We will work together to improve oral health for all Canadians, particularly youth and seniors.

If we continue to work together, and if, as I hope, all members of the House of Commons here today support the bill, we will also be able to work on other elements.