Opposed to Tory cuts

It is not right that the Government of Canada cut most of the needed funding for Nunavummiut across the North. All the people of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut who use those programs use them because they need them to succeed in a healthier life style. Our premiers know this.

Since the visits to Iqaluit and a few other communities in the North, your government has cut funding all over the place, monies that help Nunavummiut, Nunatsiamiut and Yukonmiut.

After you saw the happy faces greeting you and the other dignitaries, you should know we are and probably will always be like that, but that does not mean we are rich in resources, money and infrastructure; you probably thought that funding for the social programs is not needed here so you cut them. Shame on you.

This cutting of funds always seems to happen only after special important dignitaries and officials visit the North and see happy people. The very same people greeting all of you who are “happy” to see them, maybe to see that you, the decision makers, can help out in each region.

When being greeted by Canadians, would you rather see happy people or would you like to be greeted by faces that look otherwise, who really need your support and assistance to carry on living a healthier life style? Do you need to see the actual overcrowding of houses, the overcrowded outpatients area, the homeless, and the number of people who use social assistance within the community?

Do you need to see this in order to continue the funding to northern Canadians? As well, your government is activating the long time unused military buildings in the North and you are still cutting the funds that are used to assist in helping out your staff? Are the northerners supposed to cater to your military people in the state of social living conditions and lack of training the northerners already do not have?

Yes, some of the northerners own their own homes and are doing well, but they had to work hard to get to that point. The Inuit of the North, if not working, live from carving sales or social assistance with the housing and hydro being subsidized.

As stated in many reports on social issues such as housing, they have found there is a lot of overcrowding leading to sicknesses, alcohol and drug abuse, family violence and the biggest problem, as you all may have read in the statistics, suicide.

If the Conservative government can cut the plan that was created at Kelowna, they can cut all the aboriginal funding just like in the United States. I believe that all the people of the North should re-think who they vote for in the next federal election.

Mary Alainga-Fraser
Ottawa