(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, we welcome today the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development, to ask questions relating to her ministerial responsibilities.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you, all. It was my first visit to the beautiful Red Chamber. Thank you for the work you do, and I look forward to our paths crossing. If I don’t see you all again, from my family to yours, happy holidays.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you, Senator Marshall. It is wonderful to be here today. I am a true and proud Newfoundlander and Labradorian.

I will agree to disagree with the province on the price on pollution, because I saw first-hand the cost of not acting on pollution when we all saw Hurricane Fiona hit Atlantic Canada and Îles de la Madeleine. As you know, my riding is the southern part of the province that was devastated by that.

When you talk to people about the price of not acting on pollution and the carbon footprint, people in my riding will say, “Please, we have to do more.”

The price on pollution that we will put through now will see the average Newfoundlander and Labradorian family of four receive over $1,300, and they will pay in about $700, so they will be better off in the long run.

We have had many other programs, as well: We have increased the Guaranteed Income Supplement, or GIS, and we have the Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant for people wanting to transition off of oil heat. We have now come out with $10-a-day daycare. We are doing so much to help people in these challenging times.

I will not sugar-coat it: These are challenging times for folks. We have come out of a pandemic that has been devastating to people, and that has affected supply chains. We’re impacted by the war in Ukraine.

Again, though, people look at their day-to-day lives, and it is having an impact, but I can tell you that Canada’s foundation is strong. We will get through this together.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you for that question, senator.

Since this is the week of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and LGBTQ2S+ people, it’s a fitting question. As a matter of fact, this morning I did an announcement on behalf of Minister Ien, who is responsible for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, and it was on Indigenous programs for women in rural areas.

The housing issue is succinct, and it is terrible everywhere in rural Canada, especially for Indigenous peoples. I can tell you that there is money set aside under Minister Hussen’s housing initiative for Indigenous peoples, and we need to get that done. We especially need more safe houses in rural and remote and Indigenous communities.

Everything is impacted, including transit — if somebody is in an abusive relationship, how they can get out. It’s connectivity as well. I was blessed to visit in the spring the Highway of Tears, which is that section of road in British Columbia where so many Indigenous girls have gone missing. That was a collaboration between federal, provincial governments and Rogers Communications. They saw that this area was known. It was targeted for Indigenous women and girls, and we partnered together to make sure that that section of road now has cell service. It was a terrible thing.

Partnerships will work. Partnerships will work on housing. Partnerships work on addressing this terrible issue that we all have to address.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you for that question, Senator Sorensen.

Many of you in the room may know that I have a deep passion for the tourism industry — it was my life for about 25 years.

As I noted, the pandemic was terrible, and no industry was hit harder than the tourism sector. We were there to help industry, employers and employees through the terrible pandemic to get back on their feet. I know the incredible work that Destination Canada is doing to showcase our provinces and the country, and the incredible products that we have, especially Indigenous products. I was in British Columbia last week; I went through Vancouver, and met with the president of Indigenous Tourism BC. The work they are doing is phenomenal.

You’re right; Canada has what the world wants. We all now have to work hard to get the industry back on its feet.

In my home province, at Gros Morne National Park, which I know you visited this past summer, tourism was up 30% this year. Now we all have to do our part and work together on accessibility, marketing and product development, as well as getting workers and immigration working to help workers into the tourism sector, especially in rural Canada.

I can tell you the world wants what Canada has, and I cannot wait to welcome the world to our country.

(Pursuant to the order adopted by the Senate on December 7, 2021, to receive a Minister of the Crown, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development, appeared before honourable senators during Question Period.)

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you.

I would first like to acknowledge the new senator in the room, and welcome her to her seat. It is a pleasure to be working with you, Senator Greenwood. Welcome to the Red Chamber. It is also my pleasure to be here today.

With regard to your question, since 2015 we have supported projects that will bring improved connectivity to over 1.7 million people. In 2014, when we formed government, only 79% of Canadians were connected to affordable, reliable internet. Today, over 93% are connected. We have made $7.6 billion available to improve connectivity across the country.

I have made a promise to connect 98% of Canada by 2026. We are well under way to do that, and we will have the rest of the country connected by 2030.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Thank you for the question, senator.

As I alluded to earlier, we were just through terrible times. We are just coming through a pandemic, and some would say we’re just at the tail end of the pandemic, along with the impacts of the war.

I can tell you that inflation is not one number, because it varies whether you’re in a remote community, an Indigenous community or what I call a really rural and remote community. The inflation number will change depending on where you go.

It’s a challenging time for people, but we have to think outside the box, too. I don’t have many food banks in my riding, but we have community kitchens, where people work together. How can we support and help by other means, not just what the Ottawa bubble would say is a food bank? What else can we do to support rural communities to help folks in need in these trying times?

I’ll be there every step of the way, sir.

Hon. Gudie Hutchings, P.C., M.P., Minister of Rural Economic Development: Senator, when the Prime Minister asked me to take this role, I was so excited because it’s breaking down those silos. It’s not only breaking down the political silos but breaking down the departmental silos.

We must have had some impact because in June I had a call that the clerk wanted to speak with me. I don’t know how you folks feel, but when the clerk wants to see you, your heart goes in your throat.

She called me in and said, “Look, good news; we now have another deputy coming to your department, and the deputy is going to be focused on rural economic development and tourism and small business.”

That’s incredible. For the work that we’re doing on the rural part with the political side of things, she is also doing the work with the departments. So we are making headway. That was a huge thing.

Also — and you alluded to this — my mandate letter covers many departments. Our government used to put an LGBTQ lens on things. Then we were the first government to put the gender lens on. Then we put on an Indigenous lens. Now we put a rural‑reality lens on all programs and policies and legislation that we put forth.

I’m now having ministers come to me and say, “Oh, before I send this up, will you look at it? I need to sit down and talk. How is this going to work? Do we need to change it to work in rural communities?”

We are having an impact.

Sadly, I need your help, too. When you see legislation come here in this Red Chamber, I need you to push back as well to say, “What impact will this have in rural, remote and Indigenous communities?”

On tourism, sir, I can talk tourism all day long because I know that we have what the world wants and we all need to work together to welcome everybody to Canada. I think during the pandemic we all had an opportunity to explore our backyards, and people saw what we have in Canada. We need to do that more. We all need to be proud of the tourism product and grow.