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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 265

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 11, 2023 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 265 - Dec/11/23
Ms. Leah Gazan
  • Dec/11/23 9:59:52 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I thank the minister. I have worked very closely with the minister in the beginning stages of implementing a red dress alert. However, there cannot be consultations for months and months. This needs to be led and directed by indigenous peoples. We need to be honest about systems that were supposed to protect us that do not; the ongoing systemic racism, for example, in policing. How are we going to set up those systems that are for indigenous, by indigenous people, as my colleagues have called upon, in relation to funding? Again, the red dress is critical, and I am thankful for the fact that we are getting there, but we need prevention. I should not have to search for places for women who face serious life-and-death violence to find a shelter bed in Winnipeg or treatment for trauma. I should not have to worry that, if I cannot find that one bed, it will cost a life. This is what that $7.6 billion means, especially because we are chronically underfunded. That is like $50 billion, because there is already not enough being invested to ensure that people with indigenous rights are afforded the same human rights as everybody else here. This cannot happen; it will cost lives.
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Context: House Hansard - 265 - Dec/11/23
Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP)
  • Dec/11/23 10:01:35 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague for her advocacy, her patience and her continual fight for indigenous peoples and their rights. I want to focus my question on the issue of violence against women within the context of the cuts that would be coming, and there is $150 million targeted towards shelters. The member just raised the issue around shelters and the lack of shelters. When indigenous women are trying to flee violence, they need to be able to get to a shelter for safety. Yet, at the same time, the government is looking at cutting $150 million in shelters. In what universe is this justified? I wonder if the member could comment on that.
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Context: House Hansard - 265 - Dec/11/23
Ms. Leah Gazan
  • Dec/11/23 10:02:28 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. colleague for Vancouver East for her allyship and advocacy, particularly around indigenous housing. That $150 million was provided during COVID. Now the excuse is that the government is cutting back the $150 million in funding, because it was special funding that was implemented in COVID, even though we know that rates of violence have increased since COVID. How can it justify cutting $150 million from shelters that are needed for people fleeing violence? It cannot just be any shelter; it also has to be culturally appropriate. There have to be people there who understand the distinct needs of groups, including indigenous peoples. That cutback is going to cost lives. That cutback is going to take away beds that could mean the difference between a person surviving or not. We are here again talking about a $7.6-billion cutback because this is a life-and-death matter, and it is such a normalized topic in this place, we barely have an audience. We are human beings deserving to live with dignity and human rights. That is very simple. We have to stop making excuses. This government needs to stop stalling, doing incremental justice and provide the support that is needed now.
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