Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today in my Member’s statement I was speaking to the Food Mail Program in my riding of Nunakput and more or less all over the Beaufort-Delta and the Sahtu in the small communities. Considering there’s northern nutrition and considering that only 62 percent of each dollar spent within the Food Mail Program actually results in reduced prices, the rest is being lost between Canada Post and they say the airlines, but I think it’s more the local stores not passing it along to the person who’s buying the groceries, the retailer.
Will this government work progressively with the Members of this Legislative Assembly and the Government of Canada to adopt changes to the Food Mail Program that will ensure that each dollar of the subsidy is visible and accountable to the northern consumer to actually assist residents in the small, remote communities to eat healthy and live healthy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for...Mr. Michael McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, the Food Mail Program is probably long overdue for an overhaul and I think many Members in this House have recognized that. We’ve had some discussions over the years as to possible changes. Our desire was to see this review finally came to reality in the last couple of years. In 2008 there was a review through the federal government with an assignment with a number of consultants to do an evaluation and, more recently, there were further reviews that are ongoing that we are hoping will make the necessary changes.
At the request of the Members of this House, we did talk to INAC and they responded to our request that was posed for them to come and make a presentation to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning on September 21st. They did come and do that and reported a number of the findings and recommendations that they are looking at.
At this point, Mr. Speaker, there are three scenarios, three options that they are reviewing and will be considering and making a decision on in the near future. The first one is the concept of using a point of sale system that would allow the retailer to discount the item based on the INAC subsidy level. The second option is the freight retail subsidy where the retailer would claim a subsidy for eligible food shipped to retail locations, and the third is a revised transportation subsidy and that would allow for a number of changes to the existing program such as modifying the eligible food, modifying entry points and adjusting the current subsidy rates and dealing with some of the shipping issues and rates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Given the cost of living in most northern communities, it makes healthy living a luxury only for the privileged that can afford it. Currently the residents of Nunakput could pay up to $10 for a small bag of salad. Given the current approach, it seems just not to revise the status quo. Mr. Speaker, this government has to place the current review changes to the Food Mail Program a priority and get involved in regards to the point of sale. That is what I would like to see, an actual...When you go to the store, you will have two prices, the price that the store paid and the price of the cost of shipping. Would the Minister work with us to see if that could happen? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
The Department of Transportation has taken the lead role on this whole review and also has been providing oversight on the Food Mail Program for quite a few years now, and we are working and have partnered up with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, and the Department of Health, and we are looking at the options and looking to see what are the benefits and the pros and cons of each option that has been put forward.
Indian Affairs has had their representatives come and make their presentation to committee. I am sure every Member will be in a position to make their comments directly to INAC.
We, of course, will be happy to accommodate any Members that want to make a recommendation or have discussion with our staff. Of course, Mr. Speaker, there has been some indication through the Rural and Remote committee to have further discussion. I believe there was a real desire to have a recommendation brought forward from them and we are still waiting to see if that discussion is going to take place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I really want to work with the Minister with regard to this and Rural and Remote committee. We know how important this is to our people in the small, remote communities, people on income support, people with big families that are having to struggle with the high cost of living and trying to feed their kids right now, Mr. Speaker. The biggest thing is getting in to speak with the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs to get this rectified sooner rather than later. People are going hungry in the communities, Mr. Speaker, and we have to do something soon. Thank you.
We are always looking for opportunities to reduce the costs of living in the communities. This is an excellent way to do it. We have roughly 18 communities that take part and take advantage of the Food Mail Program as it exists. However, we are still a very small percentage in terms of the overall budget that is set out for the rest of Canada and we’d be very happy to see what the recommendations are from the Members. If there was a submission the Member wants to make, we’d be glad to forward that. We’d also be very pleased to share our recommendations, once that’s formalized and presented to committee, and have that brought forward for the federal government’s consideration. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a final, short supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to let the Minister know I sent a letter about two and a half weeks ago to Indian and Northern Affairs regarding the point of sale concept. I’d like to see that implemented in the local stores in the communities. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to ask the Minister that anything he’s going to do with Indian and Northern Affairs, if he could keep me apprised as he goes forward and any updates from the Minister. Thank you.
We’d be pleased to include all the Members that are involved in the program and all the Members that represent communities in the program and the appropriate committee as to our next steps and our actions that we’ll be following through with. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to go back to item 7, oral questions.
---Unanimous consent granted.
Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
