MP for Nunavut demands Liberals reinstate the Hamlet Food Voucher Program

OTTAWA – On Monday, in Question Period, NDP MP Lori Idlout (Nunavut) called out the Liberal government for cancelling the Hamlet Food Voucher Program, a food lifeline for Inuit children. Idlout's intervention in Parliament was spoken in Inuktitut.

“Mosie is a single mom in Taloyoak. Her monthly income is less than $1100,” said Idlout. “The Inuit Child First Initiative helped to feed her children, every day.”

At 42 per cent, Nunavut has the highest rate of child poverty in Canada. It also has the highest rate of food insecurity across the country.

“The Liberals canceled the Hamlet Food Voucher program, and groceries in the north are not affordable,” said Idlout.

The government's changes to the requirements to access the Inuit Child First Initiative result in keeping Inuit children in poverty and less healthy than non-Indigenous children. The Hamlet Food Voucher Program, which was funded through the Inuit Child First Initiative, was canceled during the federal election campaign. The program served over 15,000 Inuit children in Nunavut.

“Will the Minister reinstate the Hamlet Food Voucher program so Inuit can afford to eat?” said Idlout.

For months, Nunavummiut have expressed their deep concerns to MP Idlout over the cancelation of the program with no notice and nothing to replace it.

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Watch MP Idlout’s question:

in Inuktitut https://youtu.be/Hbvr0ZoCPUk

in English https://youtu.be/p_gPqAEh1u0

ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᑲᐅᑎᒋᔭᕆᐊᓕᒃ

ᔫᓂ 16, 2025

ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᑎᖅᔪᐊᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒧᑦ Liberal-ᑯᓐᓂᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑦᑎᖁᔨᕗᖅ ᕼᐋᒻᒪᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᖓᓂᒃ.

ᐋᑐᕚ – ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᒥ, ᐊᐱᖅᓱᕐᓇᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓄᑖᖅ ᓂᕈᐊᕐᓂᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ ᒪᓕᖓᓕᐅᕐᑎᖅᔪᐊᖅ ᓘᕆ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ (ᓄᓇᕗᑦ) ᓴᖅᑭᓚᐅᖅᐸᐃᑦ Liberal-ᑯᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᕼᐊᒻᒪᓚᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃ, ᐃᓅᔾᔪᑎᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᓂᕿᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᖏᓐᓄᑦ. ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᒡᔪᐊᕐᒥ.

“ᒨᓯ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖃᙱᖦᖢᓂ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓚᖃᐅᑦᑎᐊᕐᖢᓂ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥᒃ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ. ᑕᖅᑭᑕᒫᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᖃᑦᑕᕐᐳᖅ $1100 ᐊᑖᓃᑉᐳᑦ.” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ.

“ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᕐᓄᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔾᔨᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᓯᐊᑦ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᒻᒪᕆᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᑕᖅᖃᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᑕᒫᖅ ᓂᕆᔭᒃᓴᖃᕈᓐᓚᖅᓯᓚᐅᕐᒪᑕ.”

42 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᓄᓛᒻᒪᕆᐅᕗᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᑦ ᑳᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᓂᕿᖃᑦᑎᐊᑲᐅᖏᓐᓂᖅᐹᖑᕗᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᓕᒫᕐᒥᑦ.

“Liberal−ᑯᑦ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᕼᐊᒻᓚᓂᑦ ᓂᖃᐃᓲᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓂᖀᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᕐᑕᖅᑐᒥᑦ ᐊᑭᑐᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ.” ᐅᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ.

ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔩᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓇᔪᖕᓂᐊᕐᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔾᔨᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓂᒃ ᑳᒃᑎᑦᑎᓗᐊᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃᓗ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᙱᑦᑐᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᑦ. ᕼᐊᒻᒪᓂᒃ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ, ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᔾᔨᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ, ᓄᖅᑲᕐᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᑯᓐᓂ ᓂᕈᐊᕐᓇᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ 15,000 ᐅᖓᑖᓃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

"ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᓂᐊᖅᐹ ᕼᐊᒻᒪᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᓂᖃᐃᓲᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᐊᕐᒪᑕ?" ᐊᐱᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ.

ᑕᖅᑭᒐᓴᖕᓄᑦ, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖃᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑎᒻᒪᕆᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᕐᔪᐊᒧᑦ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᕐᒧᑦ ᑕᒪᑐᒥᖓ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥᒃ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᒐᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᖑᕝᕖᔪᑎᒃᓴᖃᕋᑎᒃ

ᑕᐅᑐᒍ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᑎᖅᔪᐊᑉ ᐃᓪᓚᐅᖅ ᐊᐱᖅᑯᓯᖓᑦ: