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Mr. Gary Vidal (Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, CPC)

May/4/22 9:54:12 p.m.
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Madam Chair, one of the things we have talked about a little bit tonight is the fact that we have seen lots of announcements and media headlines and many promises from the government since 2015 on the long-standing issues facing indigenous people. Sometimes the issue is with the follow-through. There are promises and commitments, but a lack of follow-through. Can my colleague from Kenora talk about how the delays and the promises that are not fulfilled in a timely manner create a lack of trust in a relationship that requires such an improved level of trust?

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Mr. Eric Melillo

May/4/22 9:54:58 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I would simply say that the lack of follow-through has led to a lot of frustration. I hear it on the ground in my riding. The fact that we are here after all these years still having this debate and still having this discussion is frustrating for many people, because we know what needs to be done. We know there need to be more supports put in place. That is something that I think we even heard from the government members. They recognize that they do need to move more quickly on this, and I can appreciate that. I hope we will continue to have fruitful conversations going forward on how we can best take the proper action and support indigenous women and girls across the country.

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Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP)

May/4/22 9:55:43 p.m.
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Madam Chair, this year marks the 10th anniversary of a group called “Butterflies in Spirit”. The group was founded by Lorelei Williams, an indigenous woman who lost her aunt and her cousin in this ongoing genocide of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. She used culture and dance as a means to reclaim their culture, but also to give voice to family members. Her entire group is made up of indigenous women who have lost loved ones. To that end, in terms of actions that the government can take, does the member think the government should be investing in indigenous culture, so that indigenous people can reclaim their culture, thrive with it, and counter the colonial practice of genocide where successive previous governments tried to eliminate indigenous peoples?

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Mr. Eric Melillo

May/4/22 9:56:57 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I am not very familiar with that specific group, but I would be very interested in learning a lot more about it. To the question, I think those are absolutely the types of initiatives and supports that the government should be looking at. I would certainly support that and I would be happy to contribute to further discussion on that. I know how important culture is, especially to many of the communities in my riding. In many of the remote communities, that sense of community and that sense of culture are so vitally important and can really be incredible in the healing process.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

May/4/22 9:57:48 p.m.
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Madam Chair, my hon. colleague's deep sense of grief and connection was very clear in his speech, with the disproportionately high number of indigenous women and girls who have gone missing from the area of his riding. I want to specifically ask him if, in reading the report, he took on board the notion that it is time to stop looking at indigenous women and girls solely as victims and look at them as individual human rights holders and defenders of their own rights in a human rights issue that permeates this whole debate.

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Mr. Eric Melillo

May/4/22 9:58:24 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I appreciate the question from the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands and some of the comments I have heard from her throughout the debate today. Absolutely, I think that she raises again a very important point. There is a lot more to this discussion than we have been talking about, really, on the surface of it. Unfortunately, in five minutes of comments I do not think we have quite enough time to get into it all, but I would certainly agree with the premise of her question 100%. I think this is an important discussion we should continue to have.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

May/4/22 9:59:02 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in this important take-note debate on combatting violence against indigenous women in Canada. In each parliamentary caucus, we know that there are individual members who share information with each other and who shape our understanding of this particular topic. I want to recognize the member for Kenora, who just spoke, and many other members from our caucus who have contributed to my understanding of these issues, and members of other parties who have given excellent speeches tonight. I want to express particular gratitude to my friend from Peace River—Westlock, who was such a champion for victims of violence and for indigenous peoples in his riding and beyond. His insights in particular have helped me and have informed my understanding. I have appreciated the legislative initiatives he has brought forward as well. Many important points have been raised by colleagues during this debate. In the brief time I have I do not want to repeat what has been said, but rather try to discuss some new points and some particular initiatives that we can pursue that will make a practical difference in terms of reducing violence against women, in particular, and against all victims. My colleague from Peace River—Westlock has recently tabled Bill C-270. This bill would require that anyone making, distributing or advertising pornographic material must be able to demonstrate that those depicted in that material are over 18 and have given consent. The same member put forward Motion No. 47 in a previous Parliament to advance a study to examine the public health effects of easy access to violent and degrading sexually explicit materials. These initiatives are an important part of the fight against violence. The fact that many boys are exposed to violent sexual material at a young age can shape a false perception on their part that violence in the context of sex is normal and desirable. Studying the effects of early exposure to violent sexual images, combatting the depiction of violence and pornography, and requiring meaningful age verification for those accessing pornography would go a long way toward combatting the normalization of sexual violence. The taking of sexual images of minors, with or without consent, can contribute to cycles of violence and exploitation. Members from various parties have done important work holding Pornhub and other companies accountable for a failure to prevent non-consensual images from appearing on their platform, but more work is needed. The non-consensual distribution of intimate images is a form of violence in itself, and it contributes to further violence. While private members' bills such as Bill C-270 are important ways of addressing these issues, legislation proposed by the government would have the potential to move much more quickly in this place, and we would welcome government action in this regard. Criminalizing the distribution of intimate images without clear age verification and the confirmation of consent would help to reduce the victimization of children, women and all Canadians. I also want to highlight the action proposed in Motion No. 57, a motion I tabled in this House a few weeks ago. Motion No. 57 seeks to promote bystander awareness and intervention training as critical tools for combatting violence. Often, when we talk about violence, we think about the role being played by the perpetrator and the presence of the victim, but we need to think more as well about the role of the bystander, the person who is neither the victim nor the perpetrator, but who sees or is aware of the situation and has some capacity to do something about it. Too often, well-meaning bystanders fail to intervene. Even if they do not lack for good intentions, they could fail to intervene because they do not react fast enough, because they fail to notice what is happening, because they are scared or because they do not know what to do that would be effective. I understand how it can happen and that good, well-intentioned people could fail to intervene, but as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. We can take concrete action to empower bystanders to know how to step up and make a difference, and that means providing potential bystanders with the tools and the information to react quickly. Motion No. 57 is about asking the federal government to promote training so that more people have the tools and more people would be able to intervene effectively. Data consistently shows that bystander intervention training reduces violence. It may even deter crime if potential criminals are more likely to expect intervention by bystanders. I hope that Motion No. 57, as well as Bill C-270 from my colleague, will have the full support of colleagues and perhaps will be incorporated into government legislation. We know that acts of violence disproportionately affect the most vulnerable communities that are already disadvantaged as well as victims of colonialism and other forms of violence, past and present. Indigenous women are particularly likely to be victims of violence. It shows up in the data on sexual assault, on all forms of violence and on human trafficking. I believe it is our obligation to address violence in general, to pay particular attention to those who are most likely to be victims, and to work on recognizing universal human dignity and empowering the most vulnerable. Finally, I would like to emphasize that a great deal of harm has been done to indigenous people because of a lack of esteem and recognition for the value and dignity of the family. The horror of residential schools, in particular, involved children being taken away from their communities, and it also involved children being taken away from their families. This attack on the sacred bond between parents and children by a system that thought it had a right to replace parental authority with state-coordinated enculturation in dominant values was deeply evil. One of the key lessons that we should draw from this era is about the need to preserve and defend the parent-child bond from attacks by the state and by its institutions.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

May/4/22 10:04:07 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I do appreciate that the hon. member made reference to the horrors and atrocities of residential schools, and he did it in the framework of the sanctity of the family, but I do not recall hearing him talk about the atrocities of the murdered children who are being recovered from these institutions, which were often led by faith groups, including church organizations. I wonder if the member would reflect on those atrocities given the context of the continued genocide within this country and offer any comments that he might have on the communities that are actively in the process of recovering those children today.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis

May/4/22 10:04:49 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I appreciate the opportunity the member has given me to continue my remarks, and I would very much agree with him that the violence that occurred, the lack of attention, the neglect that allowed disease and the direct abuse of children that took place in these places, which were created by government policy. Shamefully, many different organizations, including church organizations, participated in the implementation of the government policy, and they were wrong to do so. All of us as individuals, this institution and the Government of Canada must do much more as well to address these injustices and to ensure nothing like it ever happens again.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

May/4/22 10:05:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank my hon. colleague from Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, particularly for the lens he brought to the questions around sexualized images and groups like Pornhub. It is rare chance, in this take-note debate, to actually exchange ideas, so I want to clarify and perhaps come to the same place, along with the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill, because I want to clarify what I said and make sure it is understood. This report, after extensive expert testimony and an extensive review of the issues, only focused on one legal industry that is identified as a source of a threat to indigenous women and girls in remote locations. It is only the resource extractive industry that is named. That is not to say that there are not illegal industries, such as the sex trade and human trafficking, that are grievous issues, or to say that there are not systemic issues, such as racism, misogyny, poverty and marginalization. All of those issues are real, but to the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, I did not pick it out of a group of possible industries that could be identified like the film industry or agriculture. The only industry mentioned by the inquiry report is resource extractive industries, and we need to find solutions.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis

May/4/22 10:06:57 p.m.
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Madam Chair, it is very clear that there are individuals in every sector of our economy that commit crime, and they commit heinous crimes. Let us talk about some of the revelations that have come out about violence against women that people in politics have been involved in in the past. It would be wrong to deny that it exists in every sector, regardless of where we stand politically. We also need to acknowledge the immense opportunity for empowerment that indigenous peoples are choosing to embrace through resource development. Supporting the rights of indigenous peoples includes the right to choose to develop their own resources. I do not want to have a debate on resource development in the context of tonight's conversation, but we need to acknowledge as well the opportunities for empowerment that come through the choice to develop resources, and many indigenous communities are choosing through their democratic representatives to do that.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

May/4/22 10:08:05 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the hon. member raised a very important point in the context of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and that is the culpability of men. He talked about the need for greater attention to young boys and the perpetration of toxic masculinity. I would like the hon. member to have the opportunity to expand on what he feels we could be doing better as a society to end the talks of masculinity that results in the violence against missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis

May/4/22 10:08:34 p.m.
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Madam Chair, so much of the teaching of young boys starts in the home and starts with the examples set by families. I spoke about the importance of strong families and the instruction that is provided in the home, as well as the importance of young men receiving a positive image of masculinity and how to treat women and all people they come in contact with respectfully. Having a strong family to model that positive image, as well as doing what we can around access to violent images, are steps we can take as legislators on that side, along with supporting strong families.

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Mrs. Rechie Valdez (Mississauga—Streetsville, Lib.)

May/4/22 10:09:18 p.m.
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Madam Chair, kwe, unusakut, tansi, hello and bonjour. I will be sharing my time with the member for Sydney—Victoria, whom I respect so much and who has taught me a lot about indigenous people and their culture. I am here today speaking to members from the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. Last week, I had the opportunity to rise in the House to speak to the impacts of gender-based violence within my riding of Mississauga—Streetsville. I also spoke in detail about the increase in targeted hate and violence in this country, and how budget 2022 was addressing these items. It is proven that violence and abuse can lead to poor physical and mental health, serious injuries and even homicide. Today, it is difficult talking about indigenous missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, but it is a topic that is much needed and necessary to help all of us learn and be a part of change. Culture is the foundation on which we build identity, our sense of self. In Canada, colonialism has robbed generations of indigenous people of their sense of knowing and of their community. It robbed indigenous peoples of their languages, spirituality, and ways of interacting with the land and in the world. It forcefully disconnected indigenous people from each other and their communities. It stripped indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, LGBTQQIA+ people of their vital role, undermining their inherent value and positioning in society. To heal, indigenous peoples must be able to reclaim, preserve and practice their culture. They have the wisdom and resilience to do this. However, it is the responsibility of the federal government to support this work with steadfast listening and actions that match our words. The Government of Canada is committed to a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with indigenous peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, truth, co-operation and partnership. Historic investments have been made to support indigenous priorities and their path to self-determination, but there is so much work to be done, and our government will continue to be there to work alongside indigenous peoples to address historic injustices. This evening, I would like to highlight some of the Canadian Heritage programming that responds to the calls for justice from the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls addressing the violence against indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, LGBTQQIA+ people. As the lead for the culture thematic for the federal pathway component of the national action plan, Canadian Heritage has worked closely with colleagues at other department portfolio organizations and indigenous partners on advancing this work. The culture theme for the federal pathway outlines three ways for us to do that. One is supporting the retention, revitalization, maintenance and strengthening of indigenous languages, cultures and spaces. Two is strengthening opportunities for indigenous cultural expression, participation, promotion and representation in the arts, cultural industries and media. Three is addressing systemic anti-indigenous racism in the public and policy spheres to see lasting change. As we have talked about in this House this evening, we absolutely need lasting change. The government has shown its commitment and support for the culture thematic priorities through budget 2021 and budget 2022 investments. Budget 2021 provided $453.1 million over five years and $4.9 million per year ongoing for initiatives under the culture theme, and budget 2022 provided $25 million over three years. The funding has been used to support a number of activities. First, progress continues to be made on the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act, which responds to a number of calls for justice. Canadian Heritage will administer $275 million for the implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act with $2 million in ongoing support. This funding supports the reclamation, revitalization and strengthening of indigenous languages as a foundation for culture, identity and belonging. This funding has been used to support various initiatives, including language and culture camps, mentor apprentice programs and the development of indigenous languages, resources and documentation ensuring indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in Canada have meaningful access to their culture and languages, which is absolutely fundamental. Second, Library and Archives Canada was provided $14.9 million for the preservation of indigenous heritage. To further this work, budget 2022 proposed $25 million to support the digitization of documents related to the federal Indian day school system—

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The Deputy Chair

May/4/22 10:14:45 p.m.
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The hon. member may be able to complete some of her speech during questions and comments. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

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Mrs. Laila Goodridge (Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, CPC)

May/4/22 10:15:06 p.m.
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Madam Chair, it took two years for the government to come up with an action plan, and there does not seem to be any urgency on the part of the government when it comes to implementing the plan. That can be seen in the fact that there really is not anything in the budget. Does the member have any concerns that the delayed duration will have short-term and long-term impacts on this plan?

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Mrs. Rechie Valdez

May/4/22 10:15:52 p.m.
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Madam Chair, budget 2021 invested $18 billion to narrow the gaps between indigenous and non-indigenous people, supporting healthy, safe and prosperous indigenous communities. Of that $18 billion, $2.2 billion and $160.9 million ongoing is directly dedicated to addressing root causes that contribute to the tragedy of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls and 2SLGTBQQIA+ people.

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Ms. Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre, NDP)

May/4/22 10:16:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, the member spoke about the importance of culture, and I absolutely agree with my hon. colleague, even as a foundation. I am wondering if the member agrees with me that in addition to culture, it is important to have these issues led and driven by indigenous women, girls and diverse-gendered people in terms of decisions that directly impact our lives and our safety.

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Mrs. Rechie Valdez

May/4/22 10:17:03 p.m.
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Madam Chair, what I appreciate about this evening is the fact that we are having open dialogue with each other. This is the type of dialogue we must continue to have with each other to be able to learn and grow and implement the type of change that is necessary to prevent this from happening in the future.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

May/4/22 10:17:26 p.m.
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Madam Chair, I thank the member for Mississauga—Streetsville for speaking from her heart, as she always does in this place. My question is with respect to call to justice 4.5, with respect to a guaranteed livable income, a policy that has really been championed in this place by the member for Winnipeg Centre. Would the member be willing to offer her comments on the importance of following through on a guaranteed livable income?

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