Minister's Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the meeting I had with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane, and Yukon Premier Sandy Silver. As you know in March, Premier Cochrane, Silver, and I sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister outlining our concerns over Arctic security and sovereignty. We noted that any decisions regarding the Arctic should be made in consultation with the people of the North. In addition, we outlined the need to invest in social infrastructure to strengthen our communities considering… read more.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to provide my colleagues with updates regarding Nunavut’s participation in the Northern Premiers’ Forum and Western Premiers’ Conference earlier this year. Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories hosted a meeting of the three Northern premiers in Inuvik in May. Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon share many challenges and opportunities unique to the North, and it has been an honour to work with and learn from Premier Cochrane and Premier Pillai through the Forum this year. Together, we made progress on issues of importance to… read more.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the first in-person meeting of the Northern Premiers in over two years. On May 9, Premier Cochrane and I were welcomed to Whitehorse by Premier Silver, the current Chair of the Northern Premiers’ Forum. We discussed several important priorities, including Arctic security, housing, and healthcare. Mr. Speaker, as the Northern Premiers we committed to working with the federal government and Indigenous partners to strengthen Canada’s position in the Arctic. We agreed that Arctic sovereignty and security are enhanced by strengthening our communities, and… read more.
Mr. Speaker,   Today I would like to acknowledge our whole-of-government response to the Northwest Territories’ catastrophic wildfires.   We remained in frequent communication with the Government of the Northwest Territories leading up to, during, and after the wide-scale evacuations. I personally spoke with Premier Caroline Cochrane on numerous occasions. I also remained in communication with my legislative colleagues in the Kitikmeot region. Our goal was to offer our support, while ensuring the safety of Nunavummiut in our care. Mr. Speaker, as a pre-emptive measure, the… read more.