Debates of May 30th, 2025

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that this is a very complex question. We have to work together to find ways to address it.

However, I also want to point out that repeating the same old approaches used in the past will not bring a different result. Doing the same thing again and again while expecting a different result is foolish, so I would urge the Liberal government to change its failed policies and use a different approach that includes prevention, enforcement, treatment and education.

Yes, let us work together. This is a national crisis and we have to work on it, but first of all the government has to change its path.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is great to see you in the Speaker's seat. As I said to you off camera, it has been a long time coming.

First and foremost, I want to send a huge thanks to the hard-working people of Cariboo—Prince George for once again placing their trust in me to represent them, now for the fourth time.

My time is short today, so I rise not only to respond to the Speech from the Throne but also to address and confront a national tragedy that is shattering lives and communities, Canada's opioid crisis. Since 2016, over 51,000 Canadians have died from opioid overdose. These are not just numbers; they are our loved ones who were stolen by a crisis fuelled by the proliferation of fentanyl, coupled with horrendous policies by both federal and provincial governments.

In British Columbia, overdose is now the leading cause of death for youths aged 10 to 18. This is unacceptable, yet in the Liberal Speech from the Throne there was not a single mention of this catastrophe. In 2,500 words, there was not a single reference to the opioid crisis killing thousands of Canadians every year. On average, 17 Canadians lose their life every day due to overdose, and those are just the numbers we know. Perhaps that is by design. After all, during his recent leadership race, our new Prime Minister stood before Canadians and said publicly that the overdose issue was a challenge, but not a crisis. As a matter of fact, he repeated it.

The opioid crisis has been exacerbated by the Liberal government's misguided drug policies and catch-and-release criminal justice reforms. These policies must be ended immediately. They have left our streets less safe and our communities more vulnerable. They are not saving any lives; they are just perpetuating addiction, with no end in sight.

The opioid epidemic is a public safety disaster. British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario account for 83% of all opioid deaths, but no community is spared, large or small. The opioid crisis knows no social boundaries. In fact, just this week, in my hometown of Williams Lake, the city council passed a motion to explore declaring a state of emergency in response to the rising incidents of vandalism, open drug use, fires in front of businesses, theft, public indecency, defecation and more. City councillor Scott Nelson said the following with respect to the crisis: “Things have gotten so crazy, [so bad,] so out of control. Our resources [as a community] are depleted in terms of what’s taken place”.

In the last two days, there have been on average 10 to 20, possibly even 30, overdoses each day. That is astonishing. It is not Vancouver or Toronto but a small community of 10,000 people. Look at what it is experiencing and what it has been forced to do after 10 years of failed Liberal policies. Addiction fuels crime, homelessness and social disorder, yet the Liberals have prioritized harm reduction at the expense of prevention and recovery.

The Liberal government's failure to address the opioid crisis in its Speech from the Throne, despite very briefly mentioning border security and fentanyl trafficking in an attempt to appease President Trump, ignores the economic and human toll of the opioid crisis and sends a clear signal to Canadians struggling with addiction that their new federal government could not care less about them.

Over the last 10 years, the Liberal government's failed drug policies have done nothing to curb deaths. British Columbia's 2023 decriminalization experiment, fully supported by the Liberal government, allows possession and public use of hard drugs like heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. Despite decriminalization's being marketed as a solution, B.C.'s overdose death rate is the highest in Canada. Public drug use has surged, straining communities and first responders.

We hear reports of needles scattered around parks, playgrounds and sidewalks. Kids playing soccer in the Lower Mainland have to dodge contaminated needles on the field. Safe consumption sites are allowed to operate right beside high schools, and in doing so are promoting open drug use to young and vulnerable Canadians and falsely marketing it as safe.

So-called safe supply programs are an absolute, abject disaster. Diversion of these drugs into the black market fuels the illegal drug trade, many experts have admitted, but the Liberal government has tried to cover it up for years, demeaning anyone for speaking their uncomfortable truths.

In November 2024, retired Prince George RCMP superintendent Shaun Wright testified on the opioid crisis at our parliamentary health committee. Mr. Wright, who has decades of experience in frontline policing, has said that the decriminalization experiment was “the most horrific failure of public policy” in the history of B.C.

This is the side of the decriminalization experiment that the Liberal politicians in the Ottawa bubble will not see, do not see and do not want us to understand or see. Our communities are unsafe, and our constituents feel unwelcome in their own neighbourhoods. The government must commit to not expanding the failed decriminalization experiment to anywhere else in Canada and to halting all attempts to bring forward legalization of deadly hard drugs, as some Liberals have suggested.

Furthermore, the $1 billion spent by the Liberals, as mentioned earlier by one of our colleagues, has solved nothing. What do we have to show for it? We have more deaths, more families torn apart, more communities on the brink of extinction and no hope in sight. I ask the member to take a look around their community. Does it look the same way as it did 10 years ago, before the first Liberal reign in 2015? It does not.

Treatment access remains severely limited, and supervised consumption sites simply do not address addiction's root causes. The throne speech was silent on the crisis. It missed a critical opportunity to prioritize treatment and recovery.

This baffles me a little, because we have had a plan to fight for recovery. In our Conservative platform, we highlighted how we would create 50,000 new beds for recovery to honour the 50,000 Canadians who have died from the crisis. The Liberals stole so many ideas from our plan: the GST cut on housing, income tax cuts, etc. I strongly encourage them to steal this plan as well and to get to work creating those 50,000 beds.

There is another side to the drug crisis as well. The Liberal government's criminal justice reforms, most notably Bill C-5, have made things many times worse. By eliminating mandatory minimum penalties for certain drug-related offences, Bill C-5 is a catch-and-release policy that lets traffickers off with nothing but a slap on the wrist.

In our communities, 98% of crime is committed by five or six prolific offenders in one of my communities, and by 30 in my largest community, Prince George. When they are in jail, the crime rate goes down. When they are out of jail, the crime rate goes up.

As a matter of fact, when one of my constituents, Bob Hubbard, returned home last fall, he found his house being looted by a group of drug addicts. He tried to stop them. While he was in the process, they ran him over with his own vehicle and left him for dead on the road. The perpetrators were caught the very same day, but within 24 hours after leaving Mr. Hubbard for dead on the road, they were out committing more crimes in our community. That is the reality we live in.

Businesses have also been broken into. Their windows are smashed and their doorways are set on fire so many times that owners cannot get the necessary insurance to operate their business, so they choose not to report these incidents or they close shop altogether, leaving the downtown core a ghost town. That is the reality after 10 years of Liberal government.

If the Speaker will indulge me, I have to leave with this. Canada's opioid crisis, with over 50,000 lives lost since 2016, is a tragedy ignored by the government's Speech from the Throne. In B.C., drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18. This is a tragedy that hits home when I think of 13-year-old Brianna MacDonald, who died alone from an overdose in a homeless encampment in Abbotsford late last August. Her story is a stark reminder of our failure to protect the most vulnerable.

As leaders, we must do better and be better.

This is not just a challenge; it is a crisis. It demands urgent action, not silence. The Prime Minister's policies have failed Canadians, and Canadians demand a system that supports recovery, punishes traffickers and restores safety.

Let us honour Brianna and the thousands lost in this city by fighting for a future where no more lives are lost.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent a clear message last month. They want us to build an economy that works for everyone. We have an ambitious plan to reduce the cost of living and build a strong economy, the most competitive in the G7. The message sent by voters, particularly in the riding of Carleton, was a call for real change, and we are committed to delivering on that call.

Will my Conservative colleagues respect Canadians' choice and support our efforts to strengthen and unify the Canadian economy, or will they continue to obstruct, as they did during the previous Parliament?

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, how does our hon. colleague stand up? I just mentioned that there have been over 51,000 lives lost since 2016 to the opioid crisis. I spoke of the horrific crisis that our country is gripped with, and he recites speaking notes. That is unacceptable.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on his fourth election to the House.

I am sure that he has observed over the years, as I have, that if we are not moving forward, we are moving backward. He mentioned a few things in his speech, and earlier I talked about employment insurance.

What does he think of the government's broken promises, if not its wilful blindness, especially when it comes to EI?

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our colleagues on the Liberal bench say it is a new government, it is a new day and let us just forget about the last 10 years. They will stand and say they have been elected with a strong mandate. Yes, but the mandate was built on a lie.

The new Prime Minister was elected because he told Canadians he had a plan. What we have seen ever since his first day of being elected is that he does not have a plan. There is no budget. He cannot tell us what the strong road map to economic prosperity is. It is a wonder that those on the front bench are standing and using the silly talking points from the past.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I would ask members to be judicious in their choice of words.

The hon. member for Kitchener South—Hespeler has the floor.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member from Cariboo—Prince George for putting more light on this horrendous situation, which is only getting worse. Every member of the House sees it in the downtown of the communities they come from.

I have not heard anyone on the other side actually defend any of these problems. When Liberals do rise to speak, they speak about change. Does the member take this as a tacit acknowledgement that indeed their drug decriminalization and safe supply experiment has failed? Beyond acknowledgement, does the member think it is time for an apology, and beyond that, what changes should be made immediately?

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

That is a great question, Mr. Speaker, but can you afford me another 10 minutes to answer it?

The new Liberal member for Victoria stood and said that for the first time in however many years, the people there elected a Liberal candidate. That is shameful. A story just came out in The Globe and Mail that said that whole areas of Victoria have turned into absolute ghettos and war zones. First nations communities and communities all across our nation have been drug-addled and crime-riddled and are absolute war zones. People are living like zombies, and that is not compassion. We have perpetuated their addictions.

I absolutely believe that the Prime Minister should stand up on behalf of the Liberal Party and caucus he represents and apologize to Canadians for their abject failure over the last 10 years.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I congratulate the member on his re-election. I always appreciate his speeches.

The opioid crisis has unfortunately reached my riding of Nunavut as well, which is surprising because all the communities are fly-in communities. I wonder whether the member agrees that a way to address that in my riding is to have better screening facilities both at mailing ports and at airports as well?

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the health committee talked about better screening in areas such as airports and mailrooms, and also about traceability for the safe supply that is being diverted. At every step of the way, the Liberals said no to it. It is a big issue, and it falls squarely at the feet of the Prime Minister.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to share my time with my colleague from Nunavut.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to speak to the Speech from the Throne delivered on Tuesday by His Majesty King Charles III. This speech will mark the beginning of a new parliamentary session. It charts a course to a fairer, more sustainable and more prosperous future for all Canadians.

Today, I would like to highlight certain aspects of this speech that resonate particularly well with the realities of the people of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation. My primarily rural riding is home to a mosaic of small, vibrant, tight-knit communities surrounding two urban hubs. I am talking about the people of Lachute and part of Gatineau, including Buckingham and Masson-Angers. Throughout my riding, residents have the same aspiration: to live with dignity in affordable, well-serviced, accessible, sustainable communities. What we see in the throne speech is a renewed commitment to quality of life, security and affordability.

Building housing is a priority for us. Housing is not a luxury; it is an urgent need. Many families have moved to my riding in recent years, putting enormous pressure on the housing supply. Young people who want to set up house are knocking on the same doors as seniors who want to stay in their communities and newcomers who are searching for a home. We need to build, and we need to build fast, but we also need to build smart. Our government understands that. The government will undertake a series of measures to help double the rate of home building while creating an entirely new housing industry using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers and Canadian lumber.

The government will introduce measures to deliver affordable homes by creating "build Canada homes". This mission-driven organization will act to accelerate the development of new affordable housing. It will invest in the growth of the prefabricated and modular housing industry, and it will provide significant financing to affordable home builders. That also means supporting our municipalities, which typically do not have the infrastructure or the human resources to properly accommodate this growth, as noted in the throne speech. The government will make the housing market work better, including by cutting municipal development charges in half for all multi-unit housing. The government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down.

One sentence in particular from the Speech from the Throne stuck with me: “The Government is guided by its conviction that the economy is only truly strong when it serves everyone.” This is especially true for us in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, as in other remote rural municipalities. These communities are the beating heart of our country. They feed our cities. They preserve our traditions. They often innovate behind the scenes, but they face unique challenges.

Our municipalities are vulnerable. Like many people across our country, certain Canadians, some younger, some older, are struggling to reach their full potential. Our government understands that. It is taking meaningful measures to make life more affordable for middle-class Canadians, including cutting taxes to save dual-earning families up to $840 a year and eliminating the GST for first-time home buyers on homes valued up to $1 million, which will save them up to $50,000.

Our government will protect the programs that will save young people and families thousands of dollars every year, including the Canadian dental care plan, which will soon be available to about eight million Canadians. Throughout the election campaign, one thing that kept coming up in our discussions on the ground was the importance of access to dental care. When I was out knocking on doors, visiting markets and seniors' residences, people, especially seniors, talked to me about the Canadian dental care plan. This is more than just one issue among many. It is a question of dignity, health and social justice. This makes me think of Gisèle and Bruno, a couple in my riding who stopped me this week with smiles on their faces. I can picture them now. They told me that they had begun the process of getting dental care under this new plan.

Gisèle told me that for the first time in years, she and her husband will be able to see a dentist without worrying about cutting out other expenses. It was only a two-minute conversation, but the message was loud and clear: This program is changing lives in my riding.

People like them are the reason we introduced this plan. People should not have to suffer in silence or avoid smiling just because they cannot afford dental care. This program was set up thanks to hard work, political will and openness to hearing what Canadians tell us day after day.

I also want to highlight the importance of working together as a nation to create one economy out of 13. This will allow labour mobility between provinces. I would like to share the story of a welder without borders and the story of a trade and a country that need to be harmonized. For 21 years, I put on my leather apron, adjusted my welding helmet and turned on my torch. I was a welder, but I was also a teacher at a vocational school specializing in the building trades. Every day, I shared my knowledge with students of all ages, all motivated by a desire to build the Canada of the future, one steel wall or one building at a time.

However, there was always one thing that neither the heat of a workshop nor the passion for a profession could overcome, and that was provincial boundaries. Living and working in a border region means living with a certain amount of nonsense. On one side of the road, students could hope to find a job as soon as they graduated. On the other side of the road, despite having the same skills, students faced an invisible obstacle: provincial credential recognition. Each province wants to define its own criteria and create its own certifications. At the heart of this administrative maze, the workforce remains stuck, immobilized, unable to meet pressing needs elsewhere. This paradox is all the more frustrating given that the country needs these skilled workers who are ready to weld, construct and build.

The housing crisis is raging and construction sites are waiting, but workers remain idle, not because of a lack of will, but because of a lack of standardization. What I have learned over the years is that expertise knows no borders. A quality weld is a quality weld, whether it is done in Quebec, Ontario or on pipelines in Alberta. It is time for our system to recognize this as well.

Prefabrication is a solid solution. I firmly believe that prefabrication is one of the ways of the future. The steel sector has been using this approach for a long time, manufacturing components in a factory and then installing them. By harmonizing skills across the country, we can set up regional prefabrication centres to produce housing and infrastructure modules that are ready to assemble wherever there is an urgent need.

I would like to talk about a strong Canada united by the trades. Yes, the building trades ecosystem is complex, but that is not an insurmountable obstacle. To build a more resilient and united Canada, we need to train more workers, harmonize certifications and open domestic borders. I know for sure that trades play a critical role because, at the end of the day, welders are not merely building things out of steel. They are building bridges between provinces, between generations, between needs and know-how.

In the Quebec riding of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, the majestic Ottawa River is also the border with Ontario. Communities on both sides of the river are closely connected, as are our economies. Barriers to internal trade and labour mobility have impeded economic growth in my riding. I am sure my colleagues will understand why I am so pleased with our government's desire to eliminate all other federal obstacles.

To wrap up, the vision of the Prime Minister and our government to build a strong, united Canada that works closely with the provinces will finally lead to a real free trade system across the country. This will enable Canada to reach its full economic potential and, above all, create opportunities for economic development and prosperity across the country. I am determined to work with all my colleagues to ensure that the voices of the regions and the people of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation continue to be heard, listened to and, above all, respected.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member highlighted the Liberal government's latest housing crisis solution as building more prefab homes. In metro Vancouver, where my riding is, we built 20-storey and 30-storey high-rise towers close to transit stations.

The hard part in urban development is land assembly, rezoning applications and putting in the civil services. How is prefab housing going to solve that problem?

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am a big fan of prefab construction because I represent a rural riding. However, I am also familiar with urban centres.

Urban centres thrive with a government willing to fully co-operate with provincial, territorial and municipal governments so that we can work together to further develop and facilitate the environmental and urbanization process across municipalities. Together, we will work better and build better.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for his speech, and I congratulate him on his re-election. I, too, would like to ask him a question about housing.

In the throne speech, the government said it was going to double the rate of home building. Considering the current shortage of 100,000 housing units in Quebec, not to mention the housing shortage for first nations, I would like to know how many housing units the government plans to build per year and when the situation will be rectified for Quebec and Canada.

Can my colleague give us more details?

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a throne speech is meant to be broad. The issues it covers serve as our guidelines. There is work to be done. That is why we were elected as members of Parliament.

For my part, as a member of Parliament, I am committed to ensuring that housing is built as quickly as possible in my riding and across Quebec. I also want to help my colleagues across Canada make it easier to build housing. I think a positive step has already been taken by reducing the price of first-time home purchases, not to mention investing in municipalities for infrastructure. I sincerely believe that starting up partnerships with municipalities will make it easier to build.

[Tim Watchorn, Liberal, Les Pays-d'en-Haut, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since this is the first time I am rising in the House, I would like to thank the people of Les Pays-d'en-Haut for sending me to the House of Commons. It is an honour to represent them.

My colleague emphasized the importance of supporting municipalities with infrastructure. I am a civil engineer. I was the mayor of the municipality of Morin Heights for 16 years. I am very familiar with infrastructure issues.

I would like the member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation to tell us more about how the government will help municipalities get the funding needed to carry out these projects.

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have had the opportunity to work with engineers who understand the existing market well. The Quebec municipalities we worked with all told us about the infrastructure deficit. There can be no building without drinking water and waste water infrastructure.

That is why, in the Speech from the Throne, we promised to help developers with up to 50% of the development charges associated with large-scale housing projects in both rural and urban areas. We will support businesses that want to build. The more homes we build, the more affordable rents will be.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I would like to thank very much the member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for sharing his time with me. I hope that this is the first of many collaborations to come.

First, I thank Nunavummiut for electing me to represent and amplify their voices in this place. I thank my volunteers, contributors and staff for energizing my campaign. I thank my family, and a very special thanks to my husband Allan for supporting my work.

I acknowledge that we are on unceded Algonquin Anishinabe territory.

The throne speech was quite similar to the last one I heard. Again, there were major gaps. We heard nothing on health care, non-profit and indigenous housing, the TRC calls to action and the MMIWG calls for justice. There was nothing on addressing the high cost of groceries and nutrition north, and nothing on making the rich pay what they owe.

First, with respect to health care, Nunavummiut do not have proper access to basic health care. The non-insured health benefits program relies heavily on medical travel. All 25 hamlets in Nunavut are fly-in communities. When a constituent needs medical attention, they are flown to Iqaluit, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Yellowknife or Edmonton because of the lack of access to doctors.

I represent the largest electoral district in the world. Nunavut is more than two million square kilometres. It is eight times larger than the United Kingdom, and there is only one hospital. As a result, Nunavummiut must travel to southern locations for medical attention. Instead of building capacity for health care within Nunavut, the federal government has decided to subsidize the airlines, which are making huge profits from medical travel.

Elders are unable to age at home. As we age, we often require more medical attention. Too many times, elderly Nunavummiut are exiled to institutions in the south. They are taken from their familiar surroundings and diet, and forced to live without culturally appropriate care. This is a horrible way to live out the last years of their lives, especially for elders who have already experienced genocidal policies like residential schools, dog slaughters and forced relocations. We must do more to support elders to remain in Nunavut communities by investing in each hamlet to build an elders' qammaq and to have access to transportation and medical care.

The federal government is responsible for funding the non-insured health benefits program, but the Liberal government continues to fail to transfer the funds in a timely manner. The Government of Nunavut is forced to use its own meagre funds to ensure that medical care continues. It cannot prioritize building schools, long-term care facilities or more homes, because it is subsidizing the federal government. The Nunavut Minister of Health is frustrated by the shortfall in federal funding and by the federal government's refusal to negotiate in good faith. Without a proper negotiated agreement, the territorial government cannot prioritize its own agenda. Chronic underfunding of investments in Nunavut and Inuit was the reality before Nunavut was created in 1999 and remains as such today.

The throne speech said that transfers to territories would be maintained. This is completely unacceptable. Maintaining transfers to the territorial government means no increases, even when the cost of everything is on the rise.

The cost of living is exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure for airports and marine ports. A recent example is how much longer it took for my validation. My validation was delayed by two weeks because flights were cancelled or delayed. Often, flights are cancelled due to weather, rather than being delayed to a later part of the day when the weather improves.

The Cambridge Bay Airport runway is not paved. This causes mechanical challenges for airplanes and impacts the flight schedules. How can the government talk about Arctic security and defence when it will not even invest in paving airport runways?

The lack of transportation infrastructure impacts the cost of living. Grocery prices are so high in Nunavut that my constituents regularly tell me they go hungry. For example, in Pangnirtung, a package of four corn on the cob is $15. Not only are groceries super expensive, but the produce is often spoiled and rotten before it reaches the store shelves in Nunavut. I was in Grise Fiord in March of this year, and the potatoes for sale had already begun to sprout and the lettuce was brown.

There are solutions to these problems. The Arctic Research Foundation built a greenhouse from a sea can in Gjoa Haven. They now have access to fresh lettuce and fresh produce. This one project has done so much for food security in Gjoa Haven. Similar projects in every community can help. From community freezers to food processing plants and greenhouses, the federal government must invest in similar projects led by Inuit if it is serious about Arctic security.

Nunavut has the highest rate of child poverty in Canada at 42%, compared to the national rate of 18.1%. Nunavut has the highest rate of food insecurity of any province or territory. These statistics do not seem to matter to the federal government, as it cancelled the Inuit child first initiative's hamlet food voucher program. No reason was given. Over 15,000 Inuit children were served by this program. Finally, children were going to school having had breakfast. Without it, Inuit children and families are experiencing starvation every day. This is unacceptable.

The Liberals cancelled the successful food voucher program but kept the failing nutrition north program. Every Nunavummiut knows the nutrition north program does not work. Instead of revamping it, the Liberals appointed an Inuk to review the program. While I have a lot of respect for Aluki Kotierk, I question whether this review was necessary, especially when it is so blatantly clear that nutrition north is allowing companies like the The North West Company to make record profits.

The government is ignoring Nunavummiut and the government is ignoring indigenous peoples. As the member of Parliament for Nunavut, I will continue to raise the voices of Inuit and Nunavummiut in this place to address the chronic underfunding of the territory, to protect Inuit children and families, and to build the infrastructure and housing that is so desperately needed in Nunavut.

At this time, I am moving a subamendment as follows: That the Conservative amendment be subamended by adding “as well as Indigenous peoples”. The seconder for the motion is the member for Winnipeg Centre.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I regret to inform the hon. member for Nunavut that the seconder has to be in the chamber or present online. Since that is not the case, the subamendment cannot be moved.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, could you check to see if the member for Courtenay—Alberni is online?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I do not see the member for Courtenay—Alberni online, so he is not in a position to second the subamendment.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Winnipeg North.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would not want to give the false impression that the previous government ignored in any way the needs of northern Canada and indigenous people in general. To demonstrate that, I would challenge the member opposite to indicate a government that has contributed more financial resources to the north than the previous government did.

Having said that, I anticipate that we will have a very busy next few weeks and will be looking for co-operation, realizing that after coming through the last election, there are priority issues dealing with the construction of major national builds, if I can put it that way, that have co-operation from provinces and territories. We have other forms of legislation, such as the tax break for 22 million Canadians. I believe that is the number. Are these initiatives that the member opposite will be supporting?

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I will first address the member's preamble. For decades, every Liberal and Conservative government has underinvested in Nunavut and in indigenous peoples, which is why we have significant gaps in infrastructure, in the billions of dollars. Highlighting that the previous Liberal government has spent more than other governments is still not enough.

Regarding projects that you have mentioned, I think that pushing through the Prime Minister's agenda for one project, one review, for example, will ignore UNDRIP. Indigenous rights must not be violated in this policy. Developments on indigenous territories must adhere to constitutionally protected rights before projects begin. If this happened, then we could see indigenous peoples benefiting from—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I will just remind colleagues to address their comments through the Chair.

The hon. member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound has the floor.