Gary Vidal

[Privilege, June 16th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I was doing a little research today and on November 27, 2015, there was a document posted on the Prime Minister of Canada website. It is a 107-page document entitled, “Open and Accountable Government”. I want to quote a couple of lines from there.

It states:

The trust of Canadians will also rest on the accountability of our government. In our system, the highest manifestation of democratic accountability is the forum of Parliament.

My question for my hon. colleague is this. She has been here many years more than me. I am a relatively new member and she has much experience. Is she surprised or shocked at all at how far the current government will go to cover up the details of the transfer of these dangerous viruses to China?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, June 16th, 2021]

With regard to expenditures related to promoting, advertising, or consulting on Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, by the government, including any that took place prior to the tabling of the legislation, since October 21, 2019, broken down by month and by department, agency or other government entity: (a) what was the total amount spent on (i) consultants, (ii) advertising, (iii) promotion; and (b) what are the details of all contracts related to promoting, advertising or consulting, including (i) the date the contact was signed, (ii) the vendor, (iii) the amount, (iv) the start and end date, (v) the description of goods or services, (vi) whether the contract was sole-sourced or was competitively bid on?

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 16th, 2021]

With regard to the government’s consultation process on Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: what are the details of all consultations the government conducted with individuals from First Nations, Metis Settlements, or Inuit communities prior to tabling the bill, including, for each consultation, the (i) type of meeting (in person, Zoom conference, etc.), (ii) names and titles of attendees, including who they represented, if applicable, (iii) date, (iv) location?

[Questions on the Order Paper, June 16th, 2021]

With regard to the government's statistics on graduation rates of First Nations high school students: (a) what were the graduation rates of First Nations students who attended high school on reserve, broken down by province and year for each of the past five years; and (b) what were the graduation rates of First Nations students who attended high school off reserve, broken down by province and year for each of the past five years?

[Forestry Industry, June 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, over the past several weeks, reconciliation has become a very important topic in the House. The infrastructure, health and education gaps faced by first nations across Canada will not be solved by government programs alone.

In northern Saskatchewan, the forestry industry provides tremendous opportunity to address these gaps. Last month, the U.S. announced plans to double the tariffs, literally taking money out of the pockets of indigenous people.

When will the government finally get a softwood lumber agreement? Can the minister confirm that 100% of the duties collected will be returned?

[Meadow Lake Arena, June 9th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, it was at 2:37 a.m. on Sunday that I received a message that the Meadow Lake arena was on fire.

I still remember when the arena was first built. I was 12 years old, and when I skated out onto that ice it felt like I was in the middle of Maple Leaf Gardens. The arena was not just about hockey, though; it has been home to many other community events throughout the years, like trade shows, fairs, indoor rodeos, figure-skating carnivals, curling playdowns and the Lions Club fundraising bingos, but there was nothing that brought that place to life like playoff hockey.

The heartbeat of our community, the arena is home to memories for thousands of people across Canada, including NHL players and Stanley Cup champions. While those memories will remain, jerseys representing the pinnacle of careers, which hung from the rafters, and all the championship banners on the east wall are now gone.

I know that our community and the region will come together and one day soon we will be back in that arena cheering for our Broncos.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, I am a relatively new MP, and one thing I have learned is that partisanship, language and some of the particulars that we like to talk about in the Ottawa bubble do not matter to the people on the ground. When I talk to indigenous leaders and indigenous people on the ground in my riding of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River and in my community, they say they want us to work toward finding solutions to some of the challenges.

The events of this week are a bit of a watershed moment, because they have created an opportunity for us to really look inside ourselves and see what we believe about some of these things. Our individual responsibility to listen, to build relationships and to respect our neighbours and friends who are different from us has become way more important than the partisanship and the specific language around the issue.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, in my speech I referred to Vice-Chief Derocher, and I had a conversation with him yesterday. He shared with me his honest desire to see all of us as the same. We are all just people; we are all just God's creation. I think a huge step for us in addressing this issue will be to not see each other as different, but to see each other, whatever one's belief system is, as created beings who are the same, as human beings who are all created equally to thrive and to have purpose in the lives we live. I could not have said it better than Vice-Chief Derocher did.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, earlier on I asked a question, and I talked about the need for people of all ages to have education on this very important topic. In response to my colleague's thoughtful question, I suggest that this has to become more about listening to each other. It has to become about allowing people to tell their story and listening with sincerity and honesty. It has to be about individual responsibility. It has to be about honest, authentic and real relationship building with people who are different from us, who look different from us, who act different from us and who have a different culture from us. We have to listen, and we have to find a way to respect one another.

[Residential Schools, June 1st, 2021]

Madam Chair, tonight I will be sharing my time with the member for Kenora.

Normally, whether in person or virtually, I would talk about what an honour it is to rise in the House and speak on a topic. However, tonight it is not easy to speak on the horrific discovery of 215 children found buried at a former residential school in Kamloops, as the reality is indescribable.

This discovery is a sombre reminder that so much more work needs to be done to address the devastating and harmful effects that residential schools had, and still have on many survivors today. All Canadians must stop and reflect on what the truth is of our history as a country.

For far too long, Canada has ignored our own collective secrets hidden within the history of this country. The recent news from Kamloops brings that reality to the surface. When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2008, one of the outcomes of that process was the need to deal with the very first aspect: the truth. There is an old adage that the truth hurts. It unfortunately rang very true these past few days.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to spend some time with two vice-chiefs of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council: Vice-Chief Lawrence McIntyre and Vice-Chief Richard Derocher, both residential school survivors. In fact, Vice-Chief Lawrence McIntyre is a third-generation residential school survivor.

We had a long conversation about many topics and issues that are happening in Northern Saskatchewan, in my riding and across our country. A story that Vice-Chief Derocher shared with us that day resonated with me at the time, and with the events of this past week, I have continued to reflect upon it.

He told of how Orange Shirt Day has been an important educational tool for people to learn about the residential school system. He explained how one of the best ways to combat racism is through education, and that when we come together and see and treat each other as people, we recognize that our similarities far outweigh our differences.

Vice-Chief Derocher then told a story about how he happened to be in Saskatoon on Orange Shirt Day last September. As he made his way about the city that afternoon, he said it brought tears to his eyes as he saw people all around on the streets, walking on the sidewalks and going in and out of stores and buildings, wearing the colour orange. What he saw that day was a collective recognition of a wrong. It was a powerful statement that we are beginning to see movement in the right direction.

I also thought of the Vice-Chief's story last week when I heard about the online comments directed toward Ethan Bear. As an avid hockey fan, it was disheartening for me to see a young man who is a role model for so many young people have to endure what he did in the aftermath of the Edmonton Oilers' playoff loss. It is sad that there are still people in this world who resort to such bitterness and cruelty.

However, I could not help but notice it was also an opportunity for voices of support, of the majority, to come out in waves and drown out the voices of the uneducated. We can all take inspiration from the strength of character and the class that Ethan showed in his response to dealing with a situation he did not deserve. As a former hockey coach, I would take a team full of Ethan Bears.

These stories highlight the need for more and continued education on the truth: It is a truth that all Canadians must collectively share until we get this right. We may be moving in the right direction at times, but a more concerted effort is needed.

Yesterday, the leader of the official opposition sent a letter to the Prime Minister with recommendations that need urgent action. The first is to develop a comprehensive plan to implement TRC calls to action 71 through 76 by July 1, 2021. The second is to fund investigations at all former residential schools in Canada where unmarked graves may exist, including the site where 215 children have already been discovered. Third is to ensure that proper resources are allocated for communities to reinter, commemorate and honour any individuals discovered through this investigation according to the wishes of their families. Finally, fourth is to develop a detailed and thorough set of resources to educate Canadians of all ages on the tragic history of residential schools.

Let me end by saying that the truth is not easy. It requires courage and vulnerability. For those of us who have been tasked with an opportunity for leadership, it will take some humility and a desire to change an approach that has not been good enough.

Partisanship, by its very nature, is in direct opposition to the meaning of reconciliation. Canada needs us to be better.