Patty Hajdu, Liberal (incumbent)
Thunder Bay - Superior North
The forestry, mining, and energy sectors are crucial for our economy. If re-elected, how do you propose working with Indigenous communities and those concerned with environmental destabilization?
I mean, first of all, I think that's one of the things that really differentiates us from the conservatives. We don't believe that we should do things to people, but rather that we do things with people. And we've been demonstrating that philosophy in work. For example, in Northern communities, the conversation around Ring of Fire is a really important one. And there are many people that believe that deposits should be exploited and should be extracted. But what a Liberal government knows fundamentally is that we need to do these things with people, especially the people whose lands are deeply connected to that region.
And so for us, over the last nine and a half years, it's been a process of, first of all, relationship building. Secondly, investing in communities so they have capacity to fully participate not just in the decision making process, but in any of the economic benefits of natural resource extraction. And then thirdly, working with first nations communities to understand how best to approach these projects in a way that protects the natural resources around them.
First Nations people are intimately connected to the land, to the waters, to the air, and to the animals. And so there's a real advantage actually in doing this work with First Nations people. When I talk about investing in communities, I think about the major investments we've made in things like Watay Power so that more communities can be electrified and transition from harmful pollutant energy sources like diesel that not only are polluting, but that are also really unstable.
In Poplar Hill, for example, we met a family who was so grateful to have electrification as part of their life because their son relies on medical equipment that requires stability of energy. And they always worried about when the generators went down, if diesel was low, if there were disruptions to the power source, that it would obviously deeply affect their son's health and outcomes. And so electrification is not just about business, it's about day to day life.
It's also things like broadband expansion that we've been heavily focused on with partners to get more broadband access to First Nations so that they can actually fully participate in economic endeavors, improve education outcomes, ensure that health care can be more easily accessible through remote technology, and then finally, some of the major and heavy infrastructure that community needs, whether it's the Berens River Bridge, near Pikangikum. Better access and easier access in and out of communities to First Nations schools, water infrastructure, housing, a variety of other kinds of community infrastructure that make communities have better confidence that they really are seen as valuable and important in this work. To me, that's the real way to continue on a path that Northern Ontario has been on for many generations, actually utilizing natural resources as a major driver of economies. But we need to do so in a way that brings people along and that people actually see the value of participating in those economies. The last thing I'll just say is I'm really excited about this, but we do have a new major loan guarantee for First Nations that wish to purchase access to companies or in some cases even start companies, but largely participate from a wealth generation perspective with the natural resource extraction industries. And I would just say that it's not limited to those industries, but certainly it'll be helpful for First Nations looking to buy into companies or to utilize, you know, access to shares or ownership structures as a way to generate profits for their communities and their members.
And this major loan guarantee, we've had one drawn on it already. Mark Carney has just announced that we'll double it to $10 billion. It's an opportunity for the government of Canada to back loans that are often really inaccessible for First Nations partners to not just participate through the lens of a few jobs, but really through an ownership perspective which really changes how projects get built. And also, I think, the viability of projects.
Housing, clean drinking water, healthcare access, and treaty rights are significant concerns for Indigenous communities in NWO; how would you address these if re-elected?
Yeah, again a huge question. I mean each of them have their own unique challenges and their own unique solutions. But what I would just say is on drinking water, when we first took office there were 100 and I don't know how many long term boil water advisories. And we lifted 147 over the last nine and a half years and prevented hundreds of short term boil water advisories from becoming long term advisories. Over 300 as a matter of fact. And so this investment, this constant investment of money, but also commitment to the kinds of things that keep water plants running and keep water clean, like training of operators and providing support for First Nations to pay their operators equitably to non indigenous operators and sometimes very nearby jurisdictions.
All of these actions have resulted in a significant alleviation of long term boil water advisories but there's still 33, I think, at last count. And those First Nations are in a variety of different states in terms of their boil water advisory lift. Some First Nations have operating infrastructure that tests show that the water is clean and potable. But the First Nation itself is not quite ready to lift that advisory, many times due to the lack of confidence of their members, some who have lived without clean water for the entirety of their lives. And I met a community that lifted their boil water advisory after decades, a star blanket for his nation out West. And that chief said that, you know, he relayed stories from his family, in fact, who had never actually been able to consume water from the tap and the work that that community went through to really regain trust of the taps. And so that work continues with those communities, and there's about a dozen of those or so.
Then there's some First Nations that are still in the stages of construction of their water solution. And it's not always a new plant. Sometimes it's a new water source. Like in the case of Tataskweyak First Nation in Northern Manitoba, whose lake, Tataskweyak Lake was significantly and irreparably damaged and poisoned by mining activity in Manitoba Hydro. That water is no longer a potable source of water for any time in the foreseeable future. So Canada and the First Nation are building a 40 kilometre water pipeline from a nearby freshwater lake. And so that work is getting completed. And there are a number of other First Nations that are in various stages of construction.
And then finally there's two or three communities that have a really diverse population, some people more in a congregated sort of area with also then some of their members living with well water. And they're still studying the best solution for their particular community. Some of them are in regions that you wouldn't imagine would have boil water advisories, close to large municipalities. And so they're exploring whether or not tapping into a municipal source and paying the municipality for water access might be an option. And so in those few communities, they are still really examining their options and consulting with their members.
But what you can do for water is you can follow along. There's a water tracker online and Canadians can follow along the exact progress that we have made together with respect to first nations to clean drinking water. The last thing I'll say on that is just yesterday there was an article in TBNewsWatch about First Nations leaders that are calling on the federal government, whoever is elected in four weeks from now, to reintroduce Bill C61 which is the First Nations Clean Water act that I had the immense privilege to work on and co-develop with First Nations partners across the country. And if that legislation had passed, unfortunately it was obstructed by both NDP and Conservative MPs at the committee level in the House, but if that legislation had passed, it would have historically committed Canadian law to ensure. Well, it would have said the law would have asserted that First Nations people have a right to clean drinking water.
You would be surprised that that's actually not in Canadian law. And this bill would have actually established that right. But it would also have established the ability for First Nations to have better tools to be able to monitor their source water. So we don't see these poisonings that have happened in places like Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong and many other places where water sources are poisoned without the knowledge of the First Nations themselves. So that's the work on water.
You know, obviously there's still a long ways to go in terms of infrastructure gaps on first nations. But increasingly what we're seeing is First Nations communities that are, you know, being able to pivot and utilize the tools of self determination to do long term planning, sign 10 year agreements with the federal government and have their own fiscal management and prioritization, which really is the solution in the long run. In the meantime, you know, increasingly what we've been working on are many different kinds of social adjustments around, for example, child and family services, you know, legislation like Bill C-92 that asserts the right for First Nations to have control over their own child and family services and seeing First Nations communities sign these agreements to take back control over their own services is a huge piece to improving the health and outcomes for all first nations people. That's a lot, I know, but it's a big question.
Many NWO residents state they’re facing hardships due to the rising costs of housing, groceries, and fuel; how would you address these if re-elected?
Well, we've done a lot actually already under the Liberal government to address the high cost of living. I'll just point to dental care for example. You know, something that was completely unaffordable for so many low income Canadians and something that I'm hearing about on the door over and over. Just the gratitude that for people that have not been able to access dental care, for in some cases decades, the first time being able to have their teeth cared for, to be able to alleviate the chronic pain that they're feeling. And of course, dental care has just most recently expanded to include everyone over the age of 18 that doesn't have a plan or doesn't have access. So this is a huge cost alleviation and a huge gap that's been filled by a federal Liberal government.
We're also continuing to take the next steps on pharmacare. Many people don't have benefits. Things like diabetes care, you know, birth control are inaccessible to people. And so we're going to continue to work in that direction. The Canada Child Benefit is more generous than it's ever been before. In fact, that was one of our first actions in 2015 and it's indexed to inflation. In fact, all the benefits are indexed to inflation. So that's been a really huge help to many families who in some cases, you know, are receiving thousands and thousands of dollars for children that can help offset the rising costs of food or expenses or even activities in sports or other kinds of cultural activities.
And then finally, as you know, there has been a lot of conversation about the price on carbon. Although all estimates said that it did not actually impact the cost of living, many Canadians felt it was and had become extremely divisive. So as of April 1, the carbon tax has been canceled. The last rebate will go out this month. But that is something that many Canadians felt was impacting the cost of living. And so to remove the divisiveness around the carbon tax, Mr. Carney decided to cancel that carbon tax. And I think it will help reset the conversation for Canadians about how we move forward and what I would say are really challenging times.
If I could just add something on housing. Just to note that our federal Liberal government is continuing with the most recent announcement for Mr. Carney to invest in communities to be able to rapidly build affordable housing that isn't something that's new. In fact, Thunder Bay and many communities around the riding have received housing accelerator money that helps communities rezone more quickly, be able to work with developers to address permitting issues, all in the purpose of identification and building of units within their own communities. So Long Lake #58, for example, one of the First Nations in Thunder Bay, Superior North was a successful recipient. So is Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay has actually been recognized as a leader in, in actually getting housing built for middle and low income Canadians.
The Fraser Institute recently released a study which states that Thunder Bay has Ontario’s highest rate of property and violent crime; if re-elected, how do you propose lowering this rate?
Well, first of all, I wouldn't take anything the Fraser Institute says seriously, Adrian, and I'm a little bit disappointed, but that's the stat that you want to quote. The Fraser Institute is heavily funded through conservative politicians. But having said that, look, I think everyone that I talk to, you know, wants to know how to have a safer community. And, you know, I think that's one of the things that really defines a difference between a Liberal government and a Conservative government.
A Conservative government fans the flames of division. They try to put Canadians against each other. And what Canadians know is that we're stronger when we stand together. You know, there's no question that we have to make sure people feel safe in their communities. That's why we have seriously funded things like the Homelessness Partnership Strategy to make sure that communities groups in Thunder Bay and in the region have what they need to take care of really vulnerable people who are often street engaged, which oftentimes people think of when they think of crime.
Unfortunately, that's actually not what, you know, that's not really in most cases where serious crime comes from, but it is a perception of crime that nonetheless plagues our community. Just the other day I announced another million to add on to the 16 million already provided to the Lakehead Social Planning Council, who's doing a lot of work on housing stability. So when people get a unit, the question is, how do they keep it? And for some individuals, that's actually harder than it sounds. So Lakehead Social Planning Council works with people that are marginally housed, that are street engaged to help them attach to that unit. It might be some rent relief. It might be getting them in touch with services and providers that wrap around care.
I think something that many experts in this area will acknowledge is what's significantly been a gap for the most vulnerable or the most, you know, the most, I would say, affected individuals in our community. You know, people need care. And the federal Liberal government has been there to support right down to the grassroots level, sort of, you know, adding on to what provinces and territories responsibilities are to make sure these organizations like Elizabeth Fry [Society], like the Lakehead Social Planning Council, have what they need.
I think the way through is to make sure that, you know, we have a legal system with justices appointed in a timely way, which, by the way, we have made sure of before this election that we have, you know, the fewest gaps in our judiciary system that we've seen in well over two decades, you know, that those kinds of things are in place so that courts can do their work. Provinces, of course, have a huge responsibility as well, making sure that our systems are humane. I mean, just the other day, and I'm sure you saw this article as well, there was a horrible article about the abuse that prisoners are facing in jail. And you know, quite frankly, judges are reluctant to put people in incarceration for less serious crimes if they don't feel that they are actually going to be safe in those circumstances. So the provinces have a role as well to make sure that prisons are safe, that there is rehabilitation opportunities available. And the federal government has a role to make sure that the criminal code is current and up to date and reflects the kinds of needs that we have as a society. But at the end of the day, the kind of prevention work that Lakehead Social Planning Council is doing, Elizabeth Fry is doing, many of the sheltering organizations. Norwest Community Health Centres has received significant federal investment through the Substance Use and Addictions program offered through Health Canada. These are the partners that are helping bring down both the perception and the reality of crime in our communities.
According to the latest information from the Office of the Chief Coroner, the Thunder Bay district has the highest opioid-related death rate in the province; on a federal level, how do you propose lowering this rate?
Well, we again, as a federal Liberal government believe that, you know, we need to have a robust approach to substance use prevention. And, you know, although some politicians only want to talk about incarceration and enforcement as one solution, as the author of the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy, I can tell you that there are many other arms to preventing substance use related harms that need to be in place. Prevention is one. So we've been talking about housing, we've been talking about the economy, we've been talking about jobs and inclusion. All of those things are very important to make sure that people in our communities feel like there is hope for them, that they have a place that they can reach their full potential.
There's also the aspect of treatment obviously heavily influenced by the provinces. You know, in Ontario, having a diversity of treatment opportunities for treatment, treatment closer to home. We've been a strong partner in that, in funding directly to communities through the substance use and addictions program, the ability to diversify treatment options and help expand treatment access. But we do need provinces to be a partner in that.
Then finally, prevention, enforcement. So the work that we're doing at the border around fentanyl importation, there's been a lot spoken in the news about Donald Trump's assertion that Canada is one of the biggest exporters of fentanyl. In fact, we are one of the biggest importers of fentanyl. And so that work that we've been doing at the border around better enhancements for border patrol to be able to detect fentanyl and interdict importation into Canada is very important.
And then finally, I would just say that we've talked a lot about housing, and housing is very, very important as well. So, you know, how we ensure that we continue on a path where people feel that they are safe, that they have housing, that they have housing options. That was the fifth pillar in the Thunder Bay drug strategy. Very important to ensure that people feel that they have a place to call home.
The final thing I'll just say is that there's been a very heated conversation about harm reduction. And you know, what we do know is that, and listen, I would refer you to someone like Carolyn Karle in our own community, whose daughter at 29, died of a fatal overdose, actually, after having been sober for eight months, relapsed on alcohol and then took what she thought was cocaine. And indeed, it ended up being contaminated with opioids. And her life ended that evening.
What you will hear from moms and other family members is that they would do anything to give their child one last day. Because of course, every day someone is alive and with us is another day that they might be able to access treatment. And so we do have to remember that people who are dying of opioids are our children, our family members, our aunties, our uncles, in some cases our parents. And so we need to be compassionate about making sure that while people are using, they can get the services they need.
You know, I always used to say that clean needles are actually health seeking behavior. When people are looking for a clean needle, it means that they have hope that tomorrow they will be able to get well and that maybe they won't have to carry HIV and hepatitis C into that health journey that they're going to take. And it's good for all of us.
By the way, when people have access to harm reduction tools, it keeps the load of disease low in our society. And that is really another element of harm reduction that kind of gets mixed in or missed in the politicization of actually caring for people as it fits. So a Liberal government will be committed to making sure that communities have the tools they need. And not every community is going to want the same tools, but those tools, regardless of which they are, we should be making sure communities have what they need. And here in Thunder Bay, we're so fortunate. We do have community groups that work in all of those different realms and in large part work very, very well together. And I just have to thank all of those people that are working in that sector and with vulnerable people every day, day in and day out. I certainly have done that work. I know it's an emotional piece of work that people do on our behalf every single day.
If re-elected, how do you plan on alleviating any of the negative effects residents and business owners are experiencing with tariffs?
Well, that is a big focus of Mr. Carney's work right now. As a matter of fact, today he's in Ottawa meeting with the Canada U.S. Cabinet Committee to address this latest round of tariffs that the President is announcing. We have announced a number of EI measures to make it easier for any affected worker to get EI really rapidly. We are also announcing that all the tariffs that we collect, counter-tarriffs that we collect, will go towards alleviation of impacts for various different sectors. And I would say this is a time that all Canadians realize that we need to stand strong together. And it's been amazing to see the support for Canadian business in not just my riding, but all across the country.
So this Prime Minister has got the experience that we need. He's been with governments through very difficult economic times. Both Canada, appointed by Stephen Harper as the Bank of Canada governor and, you know, a key architect in how we got through the recession of 2008, but also to be with the UK during the time that that country took the decision to exit the European Union, which, by the way, was a very difficult piece of work, had significant economic impact for that country, and it has been well recognized for his stability during that time, during a very difficult economic time for the UK. Finally, what I will just say is that having this level of experience, someone who's actually run large organizations, understands how to take decisions, understands how to have, you know, a strong bottom line is exactly what we need.
What we don't need is Pierre Poilievre, who, you know, for the last three and a half years has been cozying up to Trump, using Trump language, you know, essentially adopting the language of division, adopting the slogans of Donald Trump, and now wants to pretend that he would stand up to the President of the United States. This is clearly not the case. And so I think Canadians are responding to the real challenge by standing together, ensuring that we support our own local economies, our own Canadian economy. But they're looking for the stable, experienced leadership that Prime Minister Carney represents.
