Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her insight on the health of first nations children and the importance of ensuring good health and protection for children in indigenous Canada. She mentioned Dr. Wesley-Esquimaux and the work she will be doing on behalf of the Minister of I

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased the member did ask about the minister's special representative because it gives me an opportunity to talk about the fact that this individual is a very prominent individual in our country, a prominent advocate for indigenous people, and is actively invol

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question, actually. However, I think it is worthy to state in the House that we are the government that has accepted the rulings and the recommendations of the tribunal. We are the government that is moving to implement those. We know that this is

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all those in the House of Commons today who have contributed to this important debate on children in first nations communities across Canada. I want to add my voice to this debate as well. Our government promised a new relationship with indigen

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her contribution to the debate and her concern for first nations children across the country. Does the member agree with the tribunal's ruling that funding for children and family services on reserve must be based on need? Does she support tha

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the member stated when she was speaking that the government had been withholding documents. I just wanted to make the member aware, first of all, that all of our submissions to the tribunal are available to the public. I think the process is to contact the tribunal a

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for endorsing the principles and the rulings that have been outlined. I would like to ask a couple of questions, because the tribunal was very clear that the child welfare system and the investment in child welfare in first nations should be base

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Timmins—James Bay for bringing forward the motion today. I think the member agrees with the government that the system needs a complete overhaul in order to bring protection for first nations children. We are very supportive of that ref

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the agreement reached last evening between the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador and the lnnu Nation, Nunatsiavut Government, and the NunatuKavut Community Council regarding Muskrat Falls. A number of concerns surrounding human health

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's call to action has provided Canadians with a renewed path for reconciliation with indigenous people. A whole of government approach is being coordinated to collaborate and track all of those calls to action and implementation

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, as members know, accountability and transparency are key to our government and vital to ensuring the delivery of investments in indigenous and northern communities through our budget 2016. We are engaging with first nations, as the minister has said on many occasio

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, everyone, including first nations governments, wants to ensure there is increased transparency and accountability. But we are going to achieve this by working in partnership with first nations, not a top-down approach that is made in Ottawa. What I will say is tha

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, I think the minister was very clear when she spoke to this issue a few days ago in the House of Commons. Financial transparency is important to us. Accountability is important to us. We know that changes have to be made in how that relationship works with first nat

Sealing Industry  Madam Speaker, I am happy to speak to this particular issue. Being an Inuk myself and living in the north, I know how critical the sealing industry is to our communities and our people. We continue to work hard as a government and we continue to work hard with Inuit people to op

Indigenous Affairs  Madam Speaker, I do not think there is any doubt of our government's commitment to all the victims who have suffered through this dark saga of residential schools in Canada. Just yesterday, we talked about the settlement, out of court, of the Andersen case in Newfoundland and Lab