Charlie Angus

[Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2, September 26th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, we have heard the member use that term all the time. It is a little lame and I do not think it is appropriate. We can lead a horse to water, but we cannot make it think. The Speaker should ask the member to withdraw his lame comment.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, September 21st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her excellent speech and her excellent presentation in the House. I represent the region that is just south of hers, and we share some of the same beautiful waterways.

Nunavut is established as its own region, but in other parts of the country the struggle for self-government is the key. There is a lot of symbolism, there are a lot of promises and we hear a lot of nice language, but in my region, say with Treaty No. 9, the right of communities to self-determination and the right of communities to decide how health dollars are spent and what resources are developed or not developed is still something that is not respected or understood.

Would my hon. colleague have some thoughts on how we have to move towards real reconciliation, which is self-determination?

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, September 21st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have been here for some time. I had very dark hair when I first came. I think the importance is in making sure that we are not referencing each other or actually referencing young sheep, because I am not sure, when they keep talking about “you”, whether it is “you” plural as we would say in northern Ontario or “ewe” the little sheep.

Mr. Speaker, could you please clarify the importance of speaking through you so there is no misunderstanding. People might be thinking we are talking about little sheep. I would, if I was referring to the Conservatives say “youse guys” because that would be more the second person plural, but I am not going to do that. I would speak through you.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, September 21st, 2022]

I have your back, Mr. Speaker.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, September 21st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am really interested in my hon. colleague's point on roots of inequity because inequities are systemic. They are not accidental. They are built into the system. We can talk about Jordan's principle. I stood with the family of Jordan River Anderson in 2007, and 15 years later, they are still fighting for justice.

I would like to ask my hon. colleague about the fact that we are now seeing that speech pathologists, and those working with indigenous children, are being denied payment for services for Jordan's principle. One can refuse to pay for indigenous children to have service, or one can just ignore the bills. If one just ignores the bills, then indigenous children continue to suffer from what the government has found is willful and reckless discrimination.

Will the member commit to ensuring that, for any child who is eligible for Jordan's principle payments, their therapists, doctors and dentists are going to receive the payment that should be paid out, so these children are not denied service?

[Democratic Institutions, September 20th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, Canadians went to the polls and they sent political parties of all stripes a very clear message. They are tired of the games. They want us to put the interest of Canadians first.

I promised in that election that if I came back we would fight for a national dental care plan, and I am pleased to see it is one of the top priorities in Parliament this session. We are pushing for a doubling of the GST tax credit to help people who are getting gouged relentlessly by the big oil and grocery barons. We are pushing the government to insist on a low-income tax supplement because times are hard for people.

Democracy is a fragile thing, and we all need to do more in an age of disinformation, conspiracy theories and the rising threat of political intimidation. We need to rebuild trust with Canadians. I make it my promise in this session of Parliament to work harder to maintain the trust of the people who sent me here.

[Canada Disability Benefit Act, September 20th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is “easy come, easy go...little high, little low...doesn't really matter to me”, but I cannot hear the statement because there are too many people talking. I would like to remind people in this political fandango that we should actually take the time to listen to what is being said.

[Canada Disability Benefit Act, September 20th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, given the high levels of poverty people with disabilities face, the fact that they are often living shadow lives of what they should be able to because of the fundamental inequities, I am very wary about making promises that cannot be delivered. My question to the member, in terms of this legislation, is about a credible plan to actually get it to people and ensure, particularly in my region of Ontario, that it will not be clawed back by the Doug Ford government. We have seen it go after poor people relentlessly. People are not able to pay their rent. People are not able to live in dignity. What steps can we see in this legislation that would protect people on disability from suffering these provincial clawbacks?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 20th, 2022]

With regard to the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program, broken down by province or territory and fiscal year since the program's inception: (a) what is the total number of applications received from (i) not-for-profit organizations, (ii) for-profit organizations, (iii) municipal governments, (iv) Indigenous organizations, (v) provincial or territorial government bodies; (b) how many applications were approved for (i) building talent for the clean economy, (ii) supporting demand-driven solutions for sectors hardest hit by the pandemic and those key to recovery, (iii) investing in the health care sector; and (c) how much funding has been delivered to organizations in each policy area in (b)?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, September 20th, 2022]

With regard to the Canada Greener Homes Grant Initiative, broken down by province or territory and fiscal year since the program's inception: (a) how many applications were received by Natural Resources Canada; (b) how many applications were approved for (i) home insulation, (ii) air-sealing, (iii) windows and doors, (iv) thermostats, (v) space and water heating, (vi) renewable energy, (vii) resiliency measures; and (c) what is the total amount of grant funding provided for each application type in (b)?