Northerners ‘tired of broken promises,’ Conservative critic says
Opposition MP Bob Zimmer says Trudeau Liberals have failed on housing, but doesn’t offer plan
MP Bob Zimmer, Conservative northern affairs critic, was in Iqaluit this week to attend the Nunavut Mining Symposium. In an interview, he criticized the Liberal government for its handling of issues related to the North. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
The federal Conservative critic for northern affairs and Arctic sovereignty says the Liberal government has failed to address housing and food security issues in the North.
However, in an interview this week, Bob Zimmer, an MP from B.C., didn’t say how a Conservative government under Pierre Poilievre would tackle those issues.
Zimmer was in Iqaluit to attend the Nunavut Mining Symposium on Wednesday.
“The people in the North are tired of broken promises or no promises at all and we need to support the North, especially around Arctic sovereignty,” Zimmer said.
“We’re supposed to support our residents in northern Canada, and I think they’ve done a poor job over the last nine years.”
Zimmer said that during his visits to Nunavut, the housing crisis is always something he is concerned about.
He said the Government of Nunavut is tackling the issue “head on” through the Nunavut 3000 initiative, which aims to have 3,000 new housing units built by the end of the decade.
The federal government, though, has delivered “very little” to support the territory, Zimmer said.
When asked what a Conservative strategy for housing in the North would look like, he didn’t specify what his party’s plan would be — only that it would get homes built.
“We say we’re going to build the homes, we’re going to build the homes,” Zimmer said.
Zimmer added that Nunavut’s high food prices have gotten “worse” in the last few years.
The Nutrition North food subsidy is having a “small impact” on prices, he said, and it needs to be fixed.
“We haven’t quite come to a conclusion yet, but I’m still talking to a lot of folks about how do we fix it,” Zimmer said.
Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout has also been vocal about what she says are the program’s flaws.
Trudeau does not care for his own Canadians because he is too focus on bringing people to Canada for his own future. None of us Canadians want to VOTE for LIBERALS for a good reason. He needs to resign before the next election as he is useless and never want to help us Nunavummiut. Look at all the Inuit and none Inuit on the streets of Ottawa and close to the Parliament that he never says hi to or offer them help because they are from Canada. Trudeau never goes to talk to the homeless but bringing in people from outside and treating them like they are his own Canadians, and not care for his own people
I am not raises and happy for the part that outsiders are getting all the help however Canadians needs to be helped first, and us TAX payers should stop paying into high Tax to support Trudeau’s supporters.
Name Withheld Please.
Your statements:
– None of us Canadians want to vote for Liberals
– ….us TAX payers should stop paying into high Tax to support Trudeau’s supporters
Are laughable. I strongly assume that you are aware about the support Nunavummiut receive from the Government, Territorial and Federal.
What happened to all the crying that Nunavut doesn’t want to have Outsiders (of all races and locations) in Nunavut? What happened to the statement: If you aren’t happy about the treatment you receive in Nunavut, just leave.
The population of Inuit in Nunavut is about 29,000, out of 33,000 thousand residents. In 2021 there were about 70,000 thousand Inuit in Canada, but the population is growing.
Do you really expect the Conservative to change everything the Liberals didn’t complete, or “screwed” up? Shake you head please!! 4 years in power is a very short time and the Conservatives don’t have a great political record either. I guess you only think about who can provide you with more homes, (rent free of course) bi-weekly checks for sitting at home, free healthcare, free food, free hunting equipment (skidoos, guns, ammunition, clothing)
Well, soon you will make your X, place it before the correct name and I hope you’ll be awarded with your dream politician/party.
Maybe another pandemic or even worse, a war will give your desired party the chance to show Canada what they can do better than the Liberals
Every Canadian is tired of broken promises. Canada has simply declined in general and frankly Nunavut has also put in some good work in shooting itself in its own foot every time it turns around.
I tend to believe Nunavut would be in decline and frustrated regardless of a Liberal, Conservative or NDP government.
Nunavut has not been very pro economic development yet expects generous transfer payments from the federal government. Nearly every other Province and Territory saw its economic base / rise come off the back of that Province or Territories natural resources, yet Nunavut would rather be what is essentially a welfare state with many communities pushing extremely high unemployment, the largest draw on social security per capita, and really no positive upward trends.
We have the youngest population but provide the worst education and have the worst education / high school completion rates by a canyon of a margin and that spells disaster coming. Politicians can yammer on about housing, but that’s been done, its been done elsewhere in North America too, it does not solve poverty or get you out of any cycle, all it does is result in a bunch of quickly dilapidated buildings, there’s evidence of these projects all across the USA where they tried it.
People need the will to work and take pride in things before you can start handing out new homes and I really have not seen any political platform take on that in the North and call the North what it is, a welfare state. Guess they wouldn’t get any votes! Better to block economic progress like our current MP and keep status quo, its just working so well for Nunavut so why not!
That sort of ‘it’ll work out’ with no plan thinking scares me!
This guy fits right in with Poilievre!
“The Liberals are terrible, their plans are terrible, they’re not doing enough, they’re not doing anything right, we would do everything so much better.”
“What would you do instead?”
“Oh we don’t really know. We’re looking into it. But it would be better!”
These guys are not leaders. Not that Trudeau is, either.
They are the opposition. Elections are well over a year away. They are not required to have a plan in place for current issues that they have zero control over.
The only time they care about us is the election after that we are forgotten especially people in the north
How many more hundreds of millions do you want. Try doing something for yourself instead of wanting the gov, no matter what party, to do everything from changing your first dirty diaper to carrying your coffin. Enough already. Get you boots on, take responsibility and stop whining.
Again most of us have a good memory of when the Cons were in a decade long majority government and that did nothing for the north, job cuts, funding cuts, Cons can blow smoke all they want but they are worse at supporting and working with the north, we have never received all these new funding under the Cons, as much as I don’t like the current PM he has done way lot more for the north with new funding on all levels instead of cutting funds like the Cons.
Case in point all the gas vouchers that NTI/RIAs give out is from the federal government, Cons would never give such funding to Inuit organizations. Stop listening to these guys who blow hot air and do your own research, these crazy trucker convoy and far right groups will destroy Canada and divide Canada further.
I guess you forgot the water treatment plants,Power Plants, deep sea port, high arctic research station, Iqaluit Airport, new Hamlet Offices, Arctic Patrol Vessels, all funded and approved by the last conservative Gov. The type of investments the last conservative government made took years to implement, and they did not concern themselves with whether they would get a photo opp for it. There is a reason the current Government does not fund these long term infrastructure projects, and only supports studies and handouts. Its the photo ops that show up almost instantly and do not require much competency to implement.
The deep seaport was completed by the Liberal government even though it was a last minute ditch effort to buy votes by the Conservatives MP at the time, the high Arctic research centre is a waste of space and resources, no one knows what goes on there and the community of Cambridge Bay can’t use it and it’s so disconnected to the community and Nunavut.
The arctic patrol ships that the Cons bought the blueprints off Norway for 20 plus millions of dollars to have the Irving family to build these overpriced ships, the Cons gave the Irving family billions to upgrade the Irving ship yards in order for them to build these patrol ships, again wasting billions on one of the richest families in he world, instead of buying the same ship with better build quality for much less and on time from Norway.
Again if you look further into all the waste the Cons did during their time, the amount is staggering, just a few ultra rich benefits from the Cons, we lots jobs, programs funding, as the cons cut taxes for the rich the federal government lost a lot of its revenue and therefore had to make all these cuts while the cons spent more on their Canada Action plan commercials then the actual recycled funds that they tried to make it look new,
The Cons party and supporters love to attack and point fingers but out of all the parties they deceive the most and blow hot air and try to be the loudest. ABC
Yeah, well, we’re tired of the conservative’s promises too
I agree with you comment, except in one point. Nunavut has a good education, but if students do not attend school, sleeping during classes, or being only aggressive, this cannot be associate with the education system, it the parents who have to take on the shame
Unfortunately this is entirely false. Perhaps that’s the case in Iqaluit but not the majority of communities. There’s so many teacher vacancies outside Iqaluit that we have subjects that are just not offered except for online which frankly isn’t great for some students.
For instance this year we had no chemistry teacher here so no chem for students and because it’s a basic prerequisite for STEM degrees those kids can’t apply for university programs now in the STEM field. Again perhaps Iqaluit is different because recruitment is easier there but schools across Nunavut suffer terribly from being understaffed and students suffer as a result.
I do also agree there’s huge issues with attendance that is the fault of the parent but to say Nunavut has good a good education system , well that’s just not true at all. Again Iqaluit is likely different and can facilitate students looking to branch into whatever subject matter but Nunavut isn’t just Iqaluit.
The few votes from Nunavut would not make a bit of a difference, especially with the voter turnouts. No party needs support from Nunavut, but Nunavut cannot exist without Ottawa
Why is Air freight so expensive, is there obstacles in the air where planes fly?
Inuit need to do more to help themselves. Isn’t that why Nunavut exists?
Why is the labour force at Baffinland only 15 percent Inuit?
Answer, because Inuit management of education—from the earliest grades—is a disaster. Post secondary school skills training is YEARS too late.
Why do students abuse teachers and the drivers of school buses that few are prepared to do those jobs? Same answer as above—especially the lack of structure in early grades in school—along with parental irresponsibility.
Why do Inuit hold up development progress at Baffinland and Agnico-Eagle for years on end?
Answer, because incompetent and unqualified people run the environmental assessment process/
Why don’t Inuit deploy the billions of dollars in land settlement and mine royalty trusts for the actual benefit of the people?
Answer, it’s enough to pay for a government parallel to GN even as the investments fail to keep up with the ever-inflating cost of housing.
Certain of your points are valid. The federal government over the years has helped with investment across a range of areas and communities in Nunavut; PM Harper too, was more inclined to consider the Arctic an issue of sovereignty before geopolitics of the day have made this a more pressing commitment (though one wonders, are the conservatives inclined to protect the arctic also from USA infringement and their challenge that the NorthWest Passage is not Canadian waters? -A friendly reminder that oil in the Beaufort sea likely should remain as untouched, oil in the Beaufort sea)
Obviously a tad bit slanted though, as press releases let the people know what is happening throughout the territory and who is supporting what (I can only imagine how you might frame those Harper trips to the CHARS construction site or Nanisivik over the years, as something else than a photo-op?). Though, photo-ops might not be the thing of the past, or the day for conservatives, you’ve got me there. TV commercials conservatives liked to run when PM Harper was in office, and all the money Poilievre chooses to spend on his, maybe spells photo-op a slightly different way today, eh?
Though, it’s tough to say the current government hasn’t invested in at least the same things as the Harper government, but done it in a different way. -Not only quick, 2-3 years complete projects (like the May Hakongak cultural centre also in CB), but whoa, a deep-sea port too in Qikiqtarjuaq, a long term care facility in Rankin Inlet, the recent northern defense spending that lays out investment (like Harper did for CHARS, Refueling station at Nanisivik) for Northern Operational support hubs, and marine sensors, and if we wanted to look really hard, I’m sure we could find power plants, water treatment facilities being planned or getting built (and though studies cost money and time, for most responsible building, they’re an important part of the process; but I hear you, that maybe there doesn’t have to be so many studies to adapt wind or solar technology to get up and running sooner, rather than later in the Arctic).
What is definitely different though, is the fact that the GN, NTI,KIAs,QIAs and the federal government are working together–investing their time/resources to help with the housing, health and maybe even ways to protect Inuit Nunangat from climate, from diesel fumes and adversaries; -That might be all due to Premier Akeeagok and President Kotierk, but if it’s not, then it’s a marked difference compared to the Harper years.
Though, for a better tomorrow, we can imagine right?
-a conservative government also acknowledging that Inuit organizations can be a part of the solution and help fund their initiatives, something that I’m sure Harper may regret when he took office in 2006, at least in regards to honouring and working with both nhc/NTI on their Inuit Housing joint-plan.
Doesn’t matter what party wins or who’s in power, they’re all puppets anyway. Nunavut needs an Independent
The reality is that schools in nunavut will never be adequately staffed. Instead of putting high schools in every community they should send kids to bigger communities where they can have enough staff. Example: put a regional high school in Pond Inlet for Grise fiord resolute and Arctic bay.
Who’d want to go back to residential school.
Help us!