Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
WHEREAS, the Government of Canada has operated the Food Mail Program for many years;
AND WHEREAS the program now costs approximately $50 million annually to administer, with those costs increasing on a yearly basis;
AND WHEREAS the intent of the Food Mail Program is to subsidize the high costs of groceries in small northern Canadian communities by reducing the cost to ship healthy food items north;
AND WHEREAS there have been many instances over the years of abuse and poor management of that program;
AND WHEREAS many people suggest that the Government of Canada is unintentionally covering the costs of shipping poor food choices such as soda pop and potato chips to northern communities;
AND WHEREAS the Government of Canada is presently evaluating and reviewing that program;
AND WHEREAS it is important to the health and well-being of all northerners that the $50 million being spent on the delivery of the Food Mail Program be used for the purposes for which it is intended and that the program benefits as many northerners as possible;
NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that this Assembly communicate its desire for the Government of Canada to undertake a full and detailed audit of the Food Mail Program in order to determine exactly what food items and which clients are currently being subsidized in order to improve program practices and accomplish the stated government objective of contributing towards healthy diets in the north.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The motion is on the floor. The motion is in order. To the motion, the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the motion speaks for itself as to the merits of why this should be taken on. I want to thank the seconder, Mr. Jackie Jacobson of Nunakput, for seconding this.
Mr. Speaker, this issue is very important. I’ve been made aware through a number of sources that the Food Mail Program is probably not used regularly in the context of being used properly and as efficiently as possible. When push comes to shove, at times the good, healthy food tends to get pushed aside for the less healthy food. That’s a shame.
Although the federal government at this time is doing a review of the program, to my knowledge and research so far they’re not auditing the actual food that is being shipped up. Mr. Speaker, in times like this when we’re always worried about what type of food people are eating and whether they are eating properly and whatnot, we want to make sure that we’re getting the best value we can for this program.
Mr. Speaker, I won’t speak at length to this, because as I said, the motion itself clearly states that it needs to be evaluated to make sure it’s running properly. That’s really the intent: to make sure that things like milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables are getting to the people of the North at the best price possible. That’s the intent of the Food Mail Program: to make sure that the transportation cost is reduced as low as possible so food gets on the shelves of good working Northerners and they can afford to buy these types of things in that environment.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues and thank the Assembly for this motion going in.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. To the motion, the seconder of the motion, Mr. Jacobson.
Mr. Speaker, today I’m happy to be supporting, as seconder, the motion on the Food Mail Program. Not all constituents can use this program. The high cost of food in our communities, our elders having to pay the high cost of food that’s available, which is half-rotten half the time, for produce and stuff like that…. I think it’s a shame that larger families have to pay such a high cost of living due to caribou shortages and restrictions to hunting. We’re having to rely on Alberta beef.
I think this a really good thing we’re doing. I’m in full support of it. The local stores are being held accountable for the pricing, not only the stores but the airlines as well. It’s making sure we get somebody on this as a watchdog, making sure that the people, our constituents, who this is mostly affecting, get what’s coming to them in the pricing.
I thank my colleagues, and I hope everybody supports this.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. To the motion, the honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make a comment that we have had a number of discussions with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada regarding this program, which is an important program for communities across the North. We have 17 communities in the Northwest Territories that qualify.
As the Member has indicated, this is a $40 million to $50 million program. However, the bulk of the investment for this program goes into Nunavut and Nunavik. We get a small percentage. I think last year we got about $1.4 million of that revenue coming into our communities.
We’ve made a number of recommendations over the years to change how some of the program is run and operated, including the point of origin for shipments to allow them to be consolidated at any southern point. We’ve also asked that the airlines themselves be allowed to administer this program.
The review has started. It had started in the life of the previous government prior to the federal election. That has really brought the whole review to a standstill. We’re expecting that the new Minister appointed will pick it up again. We do have a northern representative — his name is Graeme Dargo — who is leading the NWT consultations.
Mr. Speaker, we certainly respect the request for an audit. We all agree that there should be best value in this program. Again, since this is a recommendation to the government, our Cabinet will be abstaining from this motion.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. I will allow the mover of the motion some closing comments. Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the Minister for recognizing how important this program is to the people of the North. I respectfully disagree with him on the size of the figure he’s pointed out. I think it’s a lot higher in the Northwest Territories. The specific benefits in theory are supposed to go to the program.
But what I will say is that the important thing is: are we getting value for money? Is the money going to the right ideals that we believe we subscribe to, which is making sure we can keep the cost of food as low as possible for all Northerners to be able to benefit, no matter what community you are in? This is a fantastic program that emphasizes northern and remote communities and can do a lot. The question is: is it doing a lot? From all evidence I’ve seen and heard, I don’t believe it’s working as hard as it can. That’s why it’s so important that this audit bring those issues to light, and hopefully we’ll deal with it.
In closing, I think this is a good value step for the people of the Northwest Territories. I will be asking for a recorded vote at this time, and I appreciate support from my colleagues who can stand behind this one.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member is requesting a recorded vote. All those in favour of the motion, please stand.
Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Jacobson, Ms. Bisaro, Mr. Yakeleya, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Bromley, Mr. Abernethy, Mr. Menicoche, Mr. Ramsay, Mrs. Groenewegen, Mr. Beaulieu.
All those opposed to the motion, please stand. All those abstaining from the motion, please stand.
Mr. Lafferty, Ms. Lee, Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Roland, Mr. Michael McLeod, Mr. Robert McLeod, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Results of the recorded vote: 11 for, none against, seven abstaining.
Motion carried.
The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
