Federal Budget Falls Short of Throne Speech Promises

"Inuit are disappointed, and more than a little frustrated, by being pushed to the margins of the new federal budget," said Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK). "While last October's Throne Speech had the Arctic as its centerpiece, the budget does not give the Arctic and Inuit sufficient attention."

"There are serious challenges facing Inuit and our Arctic homeland – Inuit Nunaat - that urgently demand concrete, adequate public sector action and investment", said Ms. Simon. "The first is the need for a 'New Deal' style program to tackle the very large and very harmful gaps separating Inuit from other Canadians in terms of access to the basic necessities of food, shelter, health care and education. The second is for the allocation of resources and creativity sufficient to fulfill the commitment made in last October's Throne Speech to an 'integrated northern strategy'. I also do not see adequate resources or a concrete plan of action to combat climate change and deal with adaptation which is affecting the Arctic now. The government of Canada is well aware of these issues following the Bali COP-13 conference, and climate change consultations between Minister Baird and northern aboriginal groups in Iqaluit on February 8th.”

Ms. Simon noted that the Budget does contain some limited, but useful initiatives for the Arctic in the form of an increased northern resident’s income tax deduction, greater spending on base line geological surveying, a new harbour for Pangnirtung, some increased funding for First Nations and Inuit health programming, as well as the announcement for the National Mental Health Commission. "We welcome these things," said Ms. Simon.

Ms. Simon cautioned, however, that these initiatives have to be placed in the context of the deep scope and scale of social problems facing Inuit regions and communities. "Illustrations of the extent of those problems abound," said Ms. Simon. "We have life expectancies that are far behind those of all other Canadians. Our homes are more crowded than everywhere
else. We have Third World type problems with tuberculosis and our suicide rates are 11 times the national average. In many communities, three quarters or more of the children don't complete high school while southern Canadians have to be recruited and re-located to the Arctic at great expense. For us, the status quo has to be radically enhanced, not modestly adjusted."

"Fundamental social problems in the Arctic are not going to be overturned by some trickle down effect of a resource development bonanza left largely to the private sector," added Ms. Simon. "The Arctic has great natural wealth, but tapping this wealth means making sure that Inuit are equipped, as full partners in any development plans for the Arctic. We are not willing to be relegated to secondary or bystander roles in our own part of Canada." President Simon also expressed disappointment at the lack of any clear link between the spending priorities in the budget and the October Throne Speech commitment to an integrated northern strategy.

"There may be some moneys set aside for some Arctic projects, or national programs that may have Arctic application, but I don't see the kind of funding stream that would be needed to give real direction and momentum to a coherent Arctic policy that carefully brings together social policy, resource development, and broader security and sovereignty considerations," said Ms. Simon. "The Throne Speech referred to Canada as a kind of North Star among nations. That is a nice image but, as I have said repeatedly in speeches across Canada in recent months, 'Sovereignty Begins at Home', and Inuit are the Canadians with a permanent Arctic address."

Ms. Simon expressed surprise that the entire portion of the budget narrative devoted to the North, including a vision statement, failed to mention Inuit or other aboriginal Canadians. "Building Canada in the Arctic must mean accepting the central presence and importance of Inuit and other aboriginal peoples, not air-brushing our historic, cultural and demographic reality, and the foundational relevance of our aboriginal and treaty rights, out of the financial or policy picture."

Ms. Simon noted that ITK recently provided the federal government with an Inuit draft of a comprehensive Arctic strategy. "We took the Throne Speech seriously in this regard and have put forward a thoughtful and comprehensive approach. We will continue to hope that the federal government will take up our offer to work together on this shared challenge."

The October 2007 Throne Speech and the February 2008 Budget are available on the Government of Canada website.