Inuit Child First Initiative a top priority for all 3 Nunavut candidates
Program expired March 31; needs Parliament to resume to unlock money for 1-year extension
All three Nunavut election candidates say they will prioritize the Inuit Child First Initiative if elected. From left are Conservative James T. Arreak, New Democrat Lori Idlout and Liberal Kilikvak Kabloona. (File photos)
Nunavut’s Conservative, Liberal and NDP candidates might not agree on a lot, but they all say the Inuit Child First Initiative is top of mind.
“If we’re going to address health issues, we should address it early and the Inuit Child First program, I would start there,” Conservative candidate James T. Arreak said.
“I believe the government must support the [initiative].”
Liberal candidate Kilikvak Kabloona took her support one step further. She told attendees at an April 4 campaign event in Iqaluit that she is running in order to secure funding for the Inuit Child First Initiative in four-year cycles.
“I was asked to put my name forward so I can work for Inuit, with the first objective being to advocate for a long-term Inuit Child First Initiative with permanent funding,” she said.
“I’m meeting people at community events and a lot of people are very concerned about the Inuit Child First Initiative.”
NDP candidate Lori Idlout, the incumbent MP, said she’s also hearing from constituents across the territory that the program is important, and that a lack of information about when funding might flow again is causing some stress.
“I am hearing concerns from the communities that they’re not even sure that it’s been extended at all,” said Idlout.
“At first, when I visited with communities, there was relief that the program was extended. But now here we are, three weeks into the campaign, only to hear that the Liberals have backtracked again.”
The Inuit Child First Initiative is a program that runs in parallel to Jordan’s Principle. It provides funding from Indigenous Services Canada to Inuit children and youths for education, services and food programs.
The program was set to expire March 31.
On March 8, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree, on behalf of Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, announced the Inuit Child First Initiative would get a $121.7-million, one-year extension.
At the time, Anandasangaree said he wanted to “make sure that there were no gaps in the services,” while warning the extra money still required parliamentary approval. At the time, Parliament was scheduled to resume March 24.
Prime Minister Mark Carney dissolved Parliament on March 23, though, and called an election for April 28. This means Parliament will not resume — and new Inuit Child First Initiative money will not flow — until after the election.
Meanwhile, non-profit organizations have had to reduce services and child health advocates are concerned a lapse in the Inuit Child First Initiative food voucher program is having an effect in the communities.
The food voucher program provides $500 per month for every Inuit child or youth under 18 for food, with an additional $250 for diapers and baby formula for families with children under the age of four.
“I have family and I have friends that access this program, so I have seen that it’s so meaningful for them. And supporting children is about supporting the future of Nunavummiut,” Arreak said.
This sentiment was echoed by Idlout, who placed blame on the Liberals for making a promise they have not been able, so far, to keep.
“[Inuit] rely on these programs for their well-being, and for them to have to be in limbo because of what’s going on in politics is such an injustice,” she said.
Kabloona, on the other hand, handed the Liberal party credit for introducing the initiative in the first place. She said that’s why her party is the choice for keeping it alive.
“It was the Liberal government that introduced the Inuit Child First Initiative, and we need a Liberal government for the continuation,” Kabloona said.
– With files from Arty Sarkisian and Nehaa Bimal
If the program is to continue, like many essentially welfare programs, it should be revamped to incentivise people to engage in productive activities. A simple way to do that is to attach it to something / have pre-prerequisite requirements. Either must be employed, in-training that will lead to employment, provide some type of community service, attending higher education or upgrades, anything that ultimately creates a better equipped person to join the workforce or help those already in the workforce.
Having your benefits just attached to having children and getting money had already proven to be quite detrimental for NU. Highest fertility rates, lowest labour force participation.
Maybe we should try something new. Some type of productive requirements attached to “free” things I think would result in a net positive, bashing our heads against the wall doing the same things certainly has not resulted in good.
Food for thought anyways.
Not a single new idea, nothing innovative, only more or less creative ways to extract an endless stream of entitlements out of the federal government.
Sounds like common sense and something a Conservative would say,
Liberal and NDP will cry foul and say but then you are punishing the children for their parents inaction/addiction and create a divide.
Initially this program had the potential to be a game changer. For the problem of food insecurity. Over time it’s became a mess. People getting the funding who shouldn’t. A lot of the items being sold on line. To get cash for who knows what.
Simply a disgusting abuse of free money. How many times and how much money. can be wasted. Be for Governments will learn. There needs to firm guard rails for eligibility. The people who are targeted for the funds are getting it. In this case children.
And follow up to make certain there is no abuse. Were abuse is found. The abuser are disqualified. And punished.
Why is there always free money. Given to so many people here in the north. Who simply refuse to work. WHY WHY.
Yes the same problems exist in the south with people not working. Their social net is not as rich as it is in Northern Canada
Alright, look…
This will get some hate, but… the solution to this is guaranteed income. Guaranteed income already exists in different forms, but it is incredibly inefficient and takes away incentives to work.
On a previous article, I commented with some figures to show an family of 4 gets benefits and entitlements that are the equivalent of about $135,000 in taxable income.
My argument right now is to give every adult person in Nunavut a guaranteed income of $1,000 per week. $52,000 per year. Taxable. This works out to about $42,000 after tax, or about $1,630 every two weeks. It’s slightly over $7,000/month for a family with two adults. You can play with the numbers if you want, you can hypothetically adjust it by province/territory, whatever. This is just a number to start.
BUT. Take away everything else. Take away public housing. Sell the entire stock. Remove the line item from Capital and Main Budgets. Dissolve NHC.
Take away social assistance. Scrap the Income Assistance division.
Take away FANS payments and ALTS payments. If you to change things around to pay people to attend post-secondary education, go for it.
Get rid of CPP, OAS, and EI. They’re now part of your guaranteed income.
Get rid of the GST rebate.
At minimum, the taxable guaranteed income reduces the CCB to about $10,000/year rather than $15,500/year.
Get rid of Inuit Child First funding. You have a guaranteed income now.
Drastically reduce government contributions for things like food banks, taxi vouchers, food hampers, and other supports for low-income families. They have income now.
Now, those families who were living on entitlements but only saw $38,000/year through income assistance and CCB, because they never saw the costs they incurred for public housing and ICI groceries… they now see the actual cost of living. They have to pay rent. They have to pay for groceries. They have to pay utility bills. They have to pay for repairs. They understand the value of a dollar.
It’s a struggle to stretch your guaranteed income for the month when rent is $3000 and other bills are coming in? I’m sure it is, welcome to the world. Go work. Find a job. Create art for sale. Do odd-jobs. Start a business. Every dollar you make will go towards you (after tax, of course. Can’t forget CRA), instead of the current system where it’s not just CRA that takes a piece, but your public housing rent goes up, your social assistance goes down. Why even try when that’s happening?
There are other changes that would have to be made to make guaranteed income work that would take up too much space here, but if you look around, guaranteed income already exists. Just in a very inefficient way.
Let’s create the incentive for people to be productive.
I have worked and paid taxes since I was 14. Now 40 and unable to find work. Always wanted a family, but I am alone with no children. I have massive debt and can no longer afford rent. Even if I do find a job, I can’t afford life. I give up on paying taxes.
Only in the north, the free handouts keep getting bigger and bigger, the Nunavut candidates need to find something else to worry about other than giving babies money to have babies, come on, this place gets more ridiculous every day. Stop with the free handouts and worry about the real issues.