Carolyn Bennett, MP

Manitoba Grand Chief Derek Nepinak Speaks out on the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

“I have never seen the minister come to Manitoba to visit the remote communities that I was able to take the rapporteur to.  So I would trust the observation of the Rapporteur head of the health minister at this time.”

Question Period – Conservatives out of touch on food insecurity

  Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food reported that many first nations in Canada are in, in his words, very desperate conditions and extremely dire straits.

    We know, sadly, that the Minister of Health has no strategy for aboriginal suicide, for OxyContin abuse and, today, for food insecurity.

    When will the Minister of Health actually accept the invitation of first nations in Canada to visit their communities to see first-hand the results of her failure to implement the strategies and the stable funding to rectify these appalling conditions.

    Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, again I met with a UN representative today. The member is very ill-informed and patronizing. Again it is an academic study of aboriginal people in Canada’s Arctic, without ever setting foot on the ground and walking in our kamiks for a day to get a good understanding of the limitations and opportunities we have as aboriginal people in this country. Again, another academic coming to our region studying us from afar and drawing a conclusion like he has the answers to everything.

Question Period – Conservatives cut Aboriginal youth suicide prevention

 Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Cowichan first nations have declared an emergency in response to recent suicides and attempted suicides. First nation suicide rates in youth are seven times higher than the national average. In the Inuit population it is almost the highest world and 11 times our national average.

    Despite supporting the Liberal opposition day on a national suicide prevention strategy, the government is actually cutting the aboriginal youth suicide prevention strategy. How on earth will that help the people of Cowichan?

    Hon. Leona Aglukkaq (Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to those individual families who have lost loved ones from suicide.

    We are committed to working collaboratively with the first nations community and our federal partners, as well as provincial and other partners, on initiatives that would improve the wellbeing of first nations communities and individuals, including the Cowichan tribes.

    We recently signed an historic tripartite agreement with the first nations in British Columbia and the provincial health departments. This will give the first nations a major role in the planning, designing and management of health care services for their communities.

Apology to Aboriginal People … Means Nothing if Canadians Don’t Understand

The Interim Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was released, all too quietly, on February 24, 2012, a Friday in a week that [...]

Read more

Question Period – Conservative cuts to mental health supports for Canadian Forces members

Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.): Madam Speaker, the facts are clear. The number of suicides among Canadian Force personnel increased from 12 in 2010 to [...]

Read more

My letter to Jason Kenney on Bill C-31

Click here to read my letter to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism on Bill C-31, the government’s unacceptable refugee reform legislation. Bill C-31 is [...]

Read more

Statement – Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.): Madam Speaker, May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Cystic Fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children [...]

Read more

Liberals Denounce Attempts to Limit Aboriginal Participation in Environmental Review Process

For Immediate Release May 3, 2012 OTTAWA— Aboriginal peoples have a right to fully participate in all federal environmental assessments that could affect their way of [...]

Read more

House of Commons Debates: First Nations are not “adversaries”

May 2, 2012 Hon. Carolyn Bennett (St. Paul’s, Lib.): Madam Speaker, in January 2012 I asked the Prime Minister to apologize for the government’s characterization of [...]

Read more

Dancing With The Octopus Video Contest has a Winner!

I was honoured to serve as a judge for the Dancing With the Octopus Video Contest, and we have a winner: Rebecca Hansen of Victoria, B.C! Check [...]

Read more