Quebec minister takes hands-off approach to press expulsion

Pierre Corbeil, Quebec’s minister responsible for native affairs and northern Quebec, visited Makivik Corp.’s annual general meeting on April 16. (PHOTO BY PASCAL POULIN)

KANGIQSUALUJJUAQ – Pierre Corbeil, Quebec’s minister of native affairs, chose not to take position on Makivik Corporation’s decision to ban journalists from their annual general meeting when he came to speak at the Kangiqsualujjuaq meeting April 16.

“I don’t want to interfere with this decision,” Corbeil said afterwards in an interview with Nunatsiaq News. “I think people hear what’s being said on the airwaves.”

Corbeil was referring to the live coverage of the meeting in Nunavik by Taqramiut Nipingat Inc., Inuttitut-language radio network.

During the minister’s scheduled interview with the newspaper, Makivik executives interrupted the interview to hold their own meeting with Corbeil in a room that had been previously booked by the newspaper for the interview with Corbeil.

Seeing the newspaper’s freelance photographer, who was taking photos of Corbeil, Makivik president Pita Aatami threatened to “go after” the photographer over photos he had taken at the meeting earlier in the week.

Corbeil’s visit came on the final day of the four-day annual general meeting, which gathered more than 40 delegates from communities across the region.

While in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Corbeil pushed Quebec’s commitment to building much-needed homes across the region.

The recently-renewed agreement to build about 340 new social units will help Nunavik, but it’s not the answer to the region’s continuing housing shortage, Corbeil said.

Last month, Quebec, Canada and Nunavik announced the renewal of a five-year agreement to build the new social housing units.

But Nunavik needs an estimated 1,000 new units to meet the region’s needs.

Quebec remains committed to a catch-up program that would help to deal with the backlog, Corbeil said.

“[The renewed agreement] will help, but it’s not going to solve the housing shortage,” Corbeil told Nunatsiaq News. “We have to be very proactive and strategic about this.”

Corbeil didn’t offer many details on that strategy. But he said building housing in Nunavik is Quebec’s number one priority for the region.

It has to be, Corbeil said, because Quebec’s northern plan cannot be developed until Nunavik’s housing crisis has been dealt with.

While Premier Jean Charest eyes the resources and tourism potential above the 49th parallel, his government also understands there must be infrastructure in place before the region can be developed, Corbeil said.

In the Quebec budget tabled last month, Quebec committed to spending $57 million to develop mining, energy, infrastructure across the North.

A plan outlining how this will be done should be available later this year.

“We’re working to elaborate the plan by working with the people involved,” Corbeil said. “And our discussions with the Inuit are going very well.”

Corbeil will sit down for meetings on the northern plan with the Kativik Regional Government, Makivik and other first nations groups once more in Kuujjuaq next month.