Blake Desjarlais

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the repayment of Canada Student loans, broken down by month since November 2015: (a) how many borrowers applied for financial hardship provisions; (b) of the applications in (a), how many were (i) approved, (ii) not approved; (c) how many defaulted loans were transferred to the Canada Revenue Agency for the purpose recovery actions; and (d) of the recovery actions in (c), how many borrowers saw reductions to their (i) GST rebate, (ii) Canada Child Benefit, (iii) Canada Disability Benefit, (iv) climate action incentive payment, (v) COVID-19 benefits, or (vi) individual tax returns?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program, broken down by month since November 2015: (a) how many borrowers have defaulted on their student loans; (b) of the borrowers in (a), what was the number of borrowers holding debt (i) under $10,000, (ii) between $10,000 and $20,000, (iii) between $20,000 and $30,000, (iv) between $30,000 and $40,000, (v) between $40,000 and $50,000, (vi) between $50,000 and $75,000, (vii) between $75,000 and $100,000, (viii) more than $100,000; and (c) of the borrowers in (a), how many identified as (i) a person living with a disability, (ii) First Nations, Inuit, or Métis, (iii) living with dependents, (iv) women?

[Public Sector Integrity Act, December 13th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I am very interested in the member for Mirabel's comments. I have seen the Conservatives several times attempt to shutdown debate in this place and censor members.

If you could, please ensure that we have a lively debate and that the member has a full speech without interruption from the—

[Grocery Industry, December 13th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, Edmonton families are making tough choices this winter: put food on the table or buy Christmas presents for their kids. Who is stealing Christmas this year? Is it Scrooge? Is it the Grinch? No, it is the Liberal-Conservative corporate coalition. They have let their grocery CEO friends jack up prices to make record profits while Canadians turn to food banks for Christmas dinner.

Why is the government okay with letting grocery CEOs ruin the holidays for Edmonton families this winter?

[Housing, December 12th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, by 2026, nearly 60,000 households in Edmonton will live in unsuitable housing or will not be able to afford rent because of the government's failure to build affordable homes. Corporate Conservatives and delay Liberals continue to play cover for rich developers and billionaires as they renovict my constituents. Last year, 156 people died in Edmonton because they were homeless. These were deaths that could have been prevented had the government acted sooner.

Again, when will the government get the money out the door to build social and co-op housing now?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, December 12th, 2023]

With regard to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program, broken down by fiscal year since 2008-09 and by province or territory: (a) what are the details of all funding arrangements made with Indigenous governments and organizations concerning this program, including the (i) name of the First Nations or First Nations-designated organization, (ii) amount of funding to cover eligible expenses for students, (iii) number of students who received support; and (b) what is the total annual expenditure by the government on this program?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, December 12th, 2023]

With regard to Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) funding for Indigenous housing in Edmonton, broken down by fiscal year since 2015-16: (a) what are the details of all funding applications received, including the (i) name of the requester, (ii) amount requested, (iii) status of the application, (iv) amount of funding granted, (v) progress on the project; (b) what actions has the CMHC undertaken to make it easier for Indigenous housing providers to apply for funding; (c) does the CMHC record data on potential applications who have abandoned projects because of burdensome or overly complicated application procedures, and, if so, what indicators does the CMHC use to make the process easier; and (d) what is the CMHC doing to ensure that Indigenous housing providers, such as Tribal Chiefs Ventures Inc., are not encumbered by debt when co-investing in Indigenous housing?

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Chair, the member pointed out the terrible and repeated pattern of neglect and delay by the government. It begs the question as to why a government, which touts having the most important relationship with first nations, Métis and Inuit, does not do the things that would manifest that relationship in a good way.

It troubles me to know that this pattern continues, but it is not one that started with the government. It is one that started 150-odd years ago when the Indian Act was tabled in this place. It usurped the rights of indigenous people and communities and neglected their position of government, jurisdiction and place in this country. The greatest act of reconciliation we can truly have would be to acknowledge that our existing laws directly disadvantage indigenous people, and if we want to make it right, we must listen and recognize that the laws of indigenous people are the laws of this land.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Chair, the story the member for North Island—Powell River mentioned is one that is present across the country, where indigenous knowledge is so often thrown in the garbage as just knowledge these people have, which is irrelevant to natural disasters, and that only science and its very narrow and empirical goals has the tools to address what we are seeing. As a matter of fact, the complete opposite can be true, where traditional knowledge has, for the better part of our country's history, protected North America.

The exact opposite should be happening. Emergency services, governments, police, fire departments, ambulances and those who take care of our people should be fully aware of the skills, traditions and knowledge that we possess because they will often find that this important and life-saving knowledge will not just help indigenous people survive. It will help all people survive. This is the type of relationship indigenous people have been calling for in Canada for a long time, one that genuinely respects the knowledge we hold.

We are a young country. We have only recently welcomed settlers to this place. We must make use of the time we have now, and we must ensure that first nations, Métis and Inuit rights are paramount to our country's present, but more so to our country's future. Our children are watching. We owe it to them.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Chair, in relation to the Auditor General's report on the immense need for infrastructure and emergency preparedness supports for first nations communities, we found a troubling and disturbing trend. When the initial fund was established, it was modelled off the existing and current natural disaster scheme in Canada, which monitored at that time how frequent they were.

Today, the Auditor General is stating how dramatically different that reality is and how natural disasters due to climate change are being exacerbated. What were once normal storms are now extreme storms. What were once regular floods are now extreme floods. What were once regular fires are now extreme fires. The Auditor General is pointing to this and raising the alarm that first nations, Métis and Inuit communities must be prepared for the disastrous conditions that climate change presents to them, conditions that are not of their own doing but because of others.

I would invite the member to join us in supporting first nations in a fight to ensure they are better prepared for when natural disasters strike. Better yet, I ask him to help us support the fight against climate change, the most important fight to this generation, as it will destroy our planet and all peoples if we do not take it seriously.