Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to visit the territories today and Friday for the first time since the 2015 election campaign and since the abrupt resignation of his former Liberal cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo, now an independent MP for Nunavut.
Trudeau will begin his northern trip by meeting with representatives from Canada’s national Inuit organization in Iqaluit today, moving ahead with a process announced late last year that brings government officials and indigenous leaders to the same table.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Health Minister Jane Philpott and Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos will also participate in the discussions, along with Bennett’s parliamentary secretary Yvonne Jones.
Trudeau has vowed to participate in the talks — formally referred to as an Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee — at least once a year.
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, says he is hopeful that terms of reference can be signed today with the prime minister to develop a plan for further work.
He says Trudeau’s meeting shows respect for the need to work directly with representatives of indigenous peoples as opposed to simply provinces or territories.
