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House Hansard - 64

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 4, 2022 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 64 - May/4/22
Mr. Gary Vidal
  • May/4/22 7:52:15 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I may fundamentally disagree with the member on some issues, but if he is interested, I have some information that was provided to me recently from someone I am going to call “Estella”. Estella is an indigenous woman who grew up in northern Alberta, a first nations woman who ran away from an abusive home many times. She felt compelled to write this op-ed, she says in this document. She says, “Today I am a heavy equipment operator at an oil sands mine in northern Alberta. I make a good wage, more than twice what I made in the city”. I am going to leap ahead to where she talks about the opportunity to have income and have a good job. She says, “To get training, to get a good paying job, and to support their family and feel proud about it. The resource sector provides that opportunity to tens of thousands of us. I wish it was more. Instead of pitting us against the resource sector, the government should be ensuring that more of those jobs are available to people like me.” I remind members that Estella is a member of Cowessess First Nation and a board member from the Indigenous Resource Network.
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