OTTAWA– Liberal Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency critic Dr. Carolyn Bennett made the following statement today on the Nutrition North Canada program:
“Ten months after the Conservative government introduced Nutrition North Canada (NNC) without proper consultation with northern Canadians, we continue to hear from northern communities that the program has failed in its promise to lower the prices of nutritious foods and increase choice for consumers.
The reality is the same in remote northern communities across Canada, including Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Quebec and Labrador – the subsidies provided to retailers through NNC have not been passed on to consumers, and in many cases NNC has dramatically increased the cost of essential household goods, including infant care products.”
Liberal Health critic Dr. Hedy Fry continued:
“The specific issues raised by northern communities are critical to the health and wellbeing of northern residents, and price increases – some reportedly as high as 250% – are proof that the new program is not working.
With the health status of Aboriginal people in the North by far the lowest in Canada, including nearly 70% of Inuit preschoolers residing in “food insecure” households, it is essential that nutritious foods be affordable and accessible to northerners.
The cost of living in the North is higher than in the rest of Canada. The Conservative government must take further steps to ensure that all savings are fully passed on to consumers, as well as implement a transportation subsidy for the community of Old Crow, Yukon, and expand access to country foods as was recommended by the House of Commons Aboriginal Affairs Committee last spring.”
