Work continues on long-term plan for Child First Initiative: spokesperson
Representative for federal Indigenous Services minister responds to Idlout’s criticism over government’s handling of funding issue
A non-confidence vote by MPs to bring down the Liberal government could mean funding won’t get extended for the Inuit Child First Initiative says Jennifer Kozelj, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada Minister Patty Hajdu, shown here. (File photo by Jeff Pelletier)
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu fired back at criticisms by Nunavut NDP MP Lori Idlout over the Inuit Child First Initiative, saying work is ongoing to find a long-term funding solution.
“We have committed towards the [Inuit Child First Initiative], we are working with Inuit partners on the co-development of a long-term approach — this work hasn’t stopped,” Jennifer Kozelj, Hajdju’s press secretary, said in an email to Nunatsiaq News Wednesday.
The Inuit Child First Initiative is a federally administered program that provides funding to help meet the social, medical and economic needs of Inuit children.
Some Nunavut hamlets have used the funding for a food voucher program. Parents receive a $500 voucher each month for each child they have who is under 18 so they can buy food. They can get an additional $250 voucher for each child under four to help pay for items like diapers and infant formula.
However, the Inuit Child First Initiative is not permanent. Current funding is scheduled to expire March 31 at the end of the federal government’s fiscal year.
Meanwhile, with Parliament prorogued until March 24, MPs won’t even return to the House of Commons until seven days before Inuit Child First Initiative funding expires.
“Unfortunately, all opposition parties have vowed to vote non-confidence in the Liberal government at the earliest opportunity. This decision by opposition parties is at the expense of critical programs like the [Inuit Child First Initiative],” Kozelj said.
If that happened, the government could fall and an election could be called before funding could be extended.
“As such, it would not be our government that allows the program to sunset, rather it would be the other parties that don’t vote for the continuation of funding and leads to Inuit [Child First Initiative] ending,” she said.
Kozelj also questioned Idlout’s criticism of the government’s handling of the funding issue.
Idlout said she has been ignored by government representatives when she calls for action to ensure funding gets extended. She said Nunavut mayors who made similar requests have also gone unanswered, and on Monday sent an open letter to the mayors acknowledging their frustration.
“MP Idlout has refused to work together with us to support the ongoing delivery of the program,” Kozelj said.
“Despite us reaching out and offering numerous briefings, MP Idlout has never taken us up on any sort of collaboration when it comes to this [initiative].”
Indigenous Services Canada is not aware of any attempts by Nunavut mayors to reach out regarding the initiative, Kozelj said.
“However, we are always happy to have discussions with partners,” she said.
Idlout said she doesn’t accept blaming Parliament being prorogued for the delay in approving extended funding for the Inuit Child First Initiative.
“I think that’s an unacceptable political answer. I started pressuring the government way before the prime minister prorogued Parliament,” she said in an interview.
Idlout made the comments after learning Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Tuesday that the federal government could not extend funding until after March 24 when Parliament resumes.
Idlout said she has been trying to get the government to take action for more than a year.
At the very least, “they should extend the program by a year, so that we can hear about what this replacement program is that they are working on with Inuit partners,” Idlout said.
A year’s extension would “ensure that Inuit children don’t suffer from the cut in absolute funding,” she said.
Sad , that people are reduced to living on handouts .
Why do only indigenous children matter for this program? Since this program no longer has ANYTHING to do with JP why not just open it to ALL canadians. And since ALL inuit with kids get this money, regardless of how much they make, by opening it to ALL canadians, even the billionaires will qualify. News flash, non-indigenous kids live in poverty too and non-indigenous kids starve too.
Not ALL inuit children receive this funding. Those outside of the territory are forgotten.
Yes, it really should be both means tested and more inclusive all needy children.
If they really want to keep this program up, they need to have stricter rules. People are using this to travel down on medical travel with multiple family members, when it is supposed to be for the benefit of the child in hospital.
This funding is abused way too much that doesn’t outweigh the benefits. Sure its reaching ppl who need it the most, but the amount of how its abused, lots of ppl boozing up bcuz of jp. ICFI is setting us up to fail. Feed someone a fish today, they’re hungry tomorrow. 45% of Nunavut on welfare. Teach someone to fish… we have forgotten how to fish.
I parent several Inuit kids through foster care, and we rely on ICFI for critical care for the kids when the Quebec government has failed to provide it: at-home nursing care for a critically ill infant, feeding tube supplies, psychology, occupational therapy… If ICFI goes away, the most at-risk children will suddenly be cut off from the care they need to overcome the challenges they’ve been handed. All the commenters on here who bemoan abuses of the system without any evidence to support these claims should speak with the parents who rely on this support for their children.