Statement made on 26 March 2009 by Senator William Rompkey (retired)
Hon. Bill Rompkey:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, which also concerns a serious situation in Nunavik in northern Quebec, which, as the minister knows, is the homeland of the northern Quebec Inuit.
According to Statistics Canada, the residents of the Nunavik have a lower life expectancy than anywhere else in the country. While the rest of the country has made gains in this regard, the descendents of the original Canadians in Nunavik are the only citizens to remain at 1970 levels. The average life expectancy there is 15 years shorter than the Canadian average. What is more significant, perhaps, is that it is 2.7 years shorter than any other Canadian of Inuit origin. This is a serious situation in Nunavik that needs to be addressed. What is needed is an increase in medical funding and support for northern medical workers, the lowering of the cost of nutritious foods and the reduction of overcrowded housing conditions in Nunavik. Will the minister intercede on behalf of the people in that part of the territory to address this serious situation?
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