Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2008-05-15 10:30:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Ms. Tina Keeper",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"1098083\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, the member's question is an excellent one. One thing that the NDP often either directly refers to or infers about the past Liberal government concerns the cuts that government made in the mid-1990s. I remind the House and Canadians that we Liberals inherited a $43 billion deficit from the previous Conservative government, and it looks like we are on the slide again with the current Conservative government.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098084\" data-originallang=\"en\">However, we really do need to talk about housing. The Conservative government does not want to talk about housing, particularly on reserve housing. Just yesterday the minister was asked specifically about housing for Inuit people in Nunavut and there was no response.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098085\" data-originallang=\"en\">Again, aboriginal people have been through inordinate circumstances through the processes of policy and legislation in this country. I think we have been making significant impacts in terms of our voices being heard at the federal level, which I attribute to our first nations leadership, M\u00e9tis leadership and Inuit leadership insisting upon that and organizing our political structures over the last number of decades.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098086\" data-originallang=\"en\">Also, however, what I believe is necessary is a conciliatory relationship between the federal government and aboriginal leadership. What is so critical about this is that the federal government needs to respond to the realities of what has occurred over this last century. One of the critical issues is housing.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098087\" data-originallang=\"en\">I would like to clarify something about my riding, which is about two-thirds of the province of Manitoba, if not a bit more. We have about three dozen first nations in the riding. We have two safe houses for first nations women, both in remote communities, although one is easier to access because of a rail line. Neither safe house has funding for programs for the families. They do not have access to services in terms of supporting the workers and their own capacity development.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098088\" data-originallang=\"en\">Again, we are talking about an enormous region in which we have two safe houses. As the member has discussed, if we are going to talk about just those two communities, both of those communities have a chronic lack of housing. Where are women to go? Numerous times I have heard Conservative members ask why they do not just move away, move to the city.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098089\" data-originallang=\"en\"> These are their traditional territories. Although we are in a process of transition, people lived on the land and these communities are where we have been for thousands of years. This is where these families have been for thousands of years. They have had a traditional lifestyle. This is their home.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098090\" data-originallang=\"en\">We are in a transitional period in which we are developing this, but without safe and adequate housing for the women and their families, they are going to continue in this cycle. Also, we are without program dollars to help the families and the women in breaking these cycles. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098091\" data-originallang=\"en\">As well, dealing with historical trauma is well known within the aboriginal community. I am sure we will adhere to the truth and reconciliation process, which is a matter directly related to the residential schools system. We have what is called an intergenerational impact. In regard to the children who were removed from their homes, a lot of families and individuals did not understand the concept of family. They were three years old or five years old when they were taken from their homes. Many of them were never allowed to go home again until they had finished school.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098092\" data-originallang=\"en\">Again, not only was that a complete interruption in the family dynamic and the cultural dynamic for these people, but it was a complete alienation from understanding their role as family members and as parents. These are the types of challenges that people are dealing with in addition to the systemic inequities. What we are talking about, obviously, are cumulative effects. It is a critical issue.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098093\" data-originallang=\"en\"> This government needs to commit itself. The government says it is concerned about aboriginal women and children. Why are we not seeing concrete steps? Why have we not seen one penny for housing for first nations people on reserve in the last three federal budgets? Why have we not had an evaluation of our women's shelters? Why do we not have core funding? Why do we not have program funding?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098094\" data-originallang=\"en\">We are not even talking about the first nations women's shelters that are provided for regions of my riding. We have two in two remote communities in my riding. That is grossly inadequate.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"1098083\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 a pos\u00e9 une excellente question. Le NPD fait souvent allusion directement ou indirectement aux compressions que l'ancien gouvernement lib\u00e9ral a apport\u00e9es au milieu des ann\u00e9es 1990. Je rappelle \u00e0 la Chambre et aux Canadiens que les lib\u00e9raux avaient h\u00e9rit\u00e9 d'un d\u00e9ficit de 43 milliards de dollars du gouvernement conservateur pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent. D'ailleurs, on dirait bien que l'actuel gouvernement conservateur nous entra\u00eene encore une fois sur une pente dangereuse.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098084\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous devons toutefois vraiment parler du logement. Le gouvernement conservateur ne veut pas parler du logement, particuli\u00e8rement du logement dans les r\u00e9serves. Hier, on a pos\u00e9 une question pr\u00e9cise au ministre concernant le logement pour les Inuits au Nunavut et il n'a pas r\u00e9pondu. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098085\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans les processus politique et l\u00e9gislatif au pays, les Autochtones ont travers\u00e9 des circonstances inou\u00efes. Nous avons fait, je crois, d'importants progr\u00e8s pour nous faire entendre au niveau f\u00e9d\u00e9ral gr\u00e2ce aux dirigeants des Premi\u00e8res nations, des M\u00e9tis et des Inuits qui n'ont pas m\u00e9nag\u00e9 leurs efforts \u00e0 cette fin et qui ont organis\u00e9 nos structures politiques au cours des derni\u00e8res d\u00e9cennies.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098086\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je crois, en outre, que le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral et les dirigeants autochtones doivent en arriver \u00e0 une relation de conciliation. Le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral doit absolument r\u00e9agir aux r\u00e9alit\u00e9s qui d\u00e9coulent des \u00e9v\u00e9nements des cent derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es. Le logement est l'un des probl\u00e8mes les plus importants. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098087\" data-originallang=\"en\">J'aimerais clarifier quelque chose au sujet de ma circonscription qui couvre environ les deux tiers de la province du Manitoba, sinon plus. Ma circonscription compte environ trois douzaines de Premi\u00e8res nations. Nous avons deux maisons d'h\u00e9bergement pour les femmes autochtones et les deux sont dans des localit\u00e9s \u00e9loign\u00e9es. Cependant, je dois pr\u00e9ciser qu'une de ces maisons est plus facile d'acc\u00e8s que l'autre gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 une ligne de chemin de fer. Ces maisons ne re\u00e7oivent pas de financement pour les programmes \u00e0 l'intention des familles. Elles n'ont pas acc\u00e8s non plus \u00e0 des services pour appuyer les travailleurs et renforcer leurs capacit\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098088\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous parlons ici d'une immense r\u00e9gion dans laquelle nous avons deux maisons d'h\u00e9bergement. Comme le d\u00e9put\u00e9 l'a mentionn\u00e9, si nous nous arr\u00eatons seulement \u00e0 ces deux collectivit\u00e9s, les deux souffrent d'un manque chronique de logements. O\u00f9 donc les femmes peuvent-elles aller? J'ai souvent entendu les conservateurs demander pourquoi elles ne d\u00e9m\u00e9nageaient pas tout simplement en ville.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098089\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ce sont leurs territoires traditionnels. M\u00eame si nous sommes en p\u00e9riode de transition, les gens ont v\u00e9cu sur ces terres et ces collectivit\u00e9s sont install\u00e9es l\u00e0-bas depuis des milliers d'ann\u00e9es. Ces familles habitent sur ce territoire depuis des milliers d'ann\u00e9es. Elles ont toujours eu un mode de vie traditionnel. C'est leur chez-soi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098090\" data-originallang=\"en\">On traverse une p\u00e9riode de transition o\u00f9 un certain d\u00e9veloppement a lieu. Mais, sans refuge pour les femmes et leurs familles, le cycle va se perp\u00e9tuer. Il manque aussi de l'argent pour les programmes d'aide aux familles et aux femmes en vue de rompre le cycle.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098091\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les Autochtones connaissent bien aussi le probl\u00e8me des traumatismes h\u00e9rit\u00e9s de leur histoire. Ils vont adh\u00e9rer, j'en suis certaine, aux efforts de recherche de la v\u00e9rit\u00e9 et de r\u00e9conciliation pour aider les victimes des pensionnats indiens. Il y a des r\u00e9percussions que l'on appelle des r\u00e9percussions interg\u00e9n\u00e9rationnelles. Ceux qui, dans leur enfance, avaient \u00e9t\u00e9 arrach\u00e9s \u00e0 leur foyer ne savaient pas vraiment ce qu'\u00e9tait une famille. Leurs familles \u00e0 eux ne le savaient pas, elles non plus. Ils avaient trois ans ou cinq ans lorsqu'on les a emmen\u00e9s loin de leur foyer. Nombre d'entre eux n'ont jamais pu y revenir avant d'avoir fini leurs \u00e9tudes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098092\" data-originallang=\"en\">En plus de subir une interruption de la dynamique familiale et de la dynamique culturelle, ces gens ont \u00e9t\u00e9 compl\u00e8tement ali\u00e9n\u00e9s au point de ne pas comprendre le r\u00f4le des membres d'une famille, en particulier des parents. Voil\u00e0 les difficult\u00e9s que rencontrent les gens, en plus des iniquit\u00e9s syst\u00e9miques. Les effets sont manifestement cumulatifs. C'est un probl\u00e8me crucial.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098093\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le gouvernement doit s'engager. Il dit qu'il se soucie des femmes et des enfants autochtones. Pourquoi n'y a-t-il donc pas de mesures concr\u00e8tes? Pourquoi, au cours des trois derniers budgets f\u00e9d\u00e9raux, le gouvernement n'a-t-il pas consacr\u00e9 un sou au logement pour les Premi\u00e8res nations dans les r\u00e9serves? Pourquoi n'y a-t-il pas eu d'\u00e9valuation des refuges pour femmes autochtones? Pourquoi n'y a-t-il pas de financement de base? Pourquoi n'y a-t-il pas de financement pour les programmes?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"1098094\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il y a seulement deux refuges pour femmes autochtones vivant en r\u00e9gion, dans ma circonscription. Ils se trouvent dans deux localit\u00e9s \u00e9loign\u00e9es. C'est terriblement insuffisant.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2008/5/15/tina-keeper-2/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/432/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/458/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "2478629",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Routine Proceedings",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Committees of the House",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Status of Women",
        "fr": ""
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2008/5/15/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2008%2F5%2F15%2F"
    }
}