Georgina Jolibois, NDP

Personal details. Name, age, hometown

My name is Georgina Jolibois, I’m from La Loche and the Clearwater River Dene Nation. I’m 52 years old.

Tell us about yourself

When I was 16, I decided that I wanted to run for office and work to make our communities better. My school at the time didn’t have a gym, so for class we would have to walk several kilometres to and from our school to have our class. I knew then that our school could be better, and that our community didn’t have to settle for less than what other people had just because we were a Northern community. I know that we can do better if we put people first, and that’s what’s driven me my whole life.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I used to work on the RCMP civilian advisory board before I became mayor of La Loche.

Why should voters hire you?

I’m incredibly proud of my record over the past four years. One of the first things that I did was open two new offices, one in Beauval and one in La Loche, so that more people could get help with government services. Thousands of people have come through my offices, getting help with everything from their passports, employment insurances, taxes, and so many other things. That’s service that wasn’t there before.

I’m also proud of my work on promoting our First Nations and Métis languages. I was the first person to speak my language, Dene, in the House of Commons. I worked really hard on improving the government’s languages legislation to strengthen funding for language training across the country. Now, any Indigenous language speaker will be able to have live interpretation of their language in Parliament, making our government more accessible to our communities. I dream of the day a young person in our community will be able to speak their language — Plains Cree, Swampy Cree, Michif, or Dene.

Northern Saskatchewan has seen incredible investments because of the hard work I did working on committees and working across political parties. We saw new funding for mental health centres, for women’s shelters, and for new businesses because Northern Saskatchewan finally has a voice that is willing to stand up for what is right and not just be another vote in the House of Commons. I’ve stood up to Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer, and we’ve seen results because of that. We’ve got a lot more work and a lot more fighting to do, and I’m going to keep doing that work.

Who should we call for a reference?

My record over the past four years as Member of Parliament is clear, publicly available, and speaks for itself. I’ve fought hard for health care, for housing, for language rights, and for elder and senior care. Over 10,000 people voted for me in the last election, and I’ve been publicly recognized by my peers in Ottawa and Macleans magazine with a Parliamentarian of the Year Award.

What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

I take pride in taking the time to listen to and speak with community members, especially elders and local leadership who need someone who is on their side. I’m very empathetic, and turn the knowledge that is shared with me into action in Ottawa. My greatest weakness is my sweet tooth. My dentist would not be proud of the bag of Werther’s Originals that I keep in my desk.

Where do you stand on:

Gun laws? I don’t think that all the solutions that Ottawa comes up with on gun violence will work in Northern Saskatchewan. I come from La Loche, where we experienced a tragic incident a few years ago, and the effects are still being felt in my community. On one hand, there needs to be clearer restrictions on storage, use, and the sale of guns. But there also needs to be balance with the needs of farmers, hunters, and First Nations and Métis people who use guns to live off the land.

The need for more pipelines? People across Northern Saskatchewan rely on pipelines for work — for example, lots of people from La Loche work on the pipeline in Fort McMurray. Without bigger investments in other job opportunities in the North, working in oil and gas is a reality for Northerners and we can’t just take that away from them. In transitioning to a greener economy, though, we need to ensure that job training, investments in green technology, and new economic opportunities are resourced while energy workers are still supported.

Western alienation? I come from Northern Saskatchewan, and I know that Ottawa often takes our communities for granted. To me, that makes me want to speak out more to fight for our concerns. Northern Saskatchewan is not just ‘’Saskatchewan’s backyard’’ — it is the home of tens of thousands of people who have lives, histories, stories, and families. I’m proud to be a strong voice in Ottawa where the prairies are often forgotten.

China? What should our approach be with some of our markets blocked? Trade is essential for our success. I support fair trade with countries that will bring new opportunities to Northern Saskatchewan and trading practices that protect Canadian industries, uphold labour standards, environmental protections, and human rights. We need to make sure that our farmers can get their products to market, and that agriculture workers are fairly recognized in trade negotiations. In government, the NDP will modernize our trade remedy system to be more inclusive of trade unions and work to end unfair trade barriers for workers.

Are we facing a climate change crisis? Is carbon tax the answer? Canada and the world are in a climate emergency, and there is no single answer to how to get out of it. In Northern Saskatchewan, we are seeing an increase in deforestation and forest fires. It takes away from our ability to teach young people a traditional lifestyle, and many animals have left and won’t be coming back.

Carbon pricing is a proven and effective method of reduce carbon emissions, and the NDP will continue carbon pricing and household rebates. However, it’s not just on individual households to address the climate emergency — we also need to ensure that the largest polluters in Canada and corporations are paying their fair share. Carbon pricing must be done in conjunction with other projects, like investing in electric vehicles, banning plastics, and protecting our forests and waterways.

It’s a day off and you can do anything you want. What would it be?

It would include spending time with my niece Bryanah and a good book.

Who inspires you?

My late grandparents, who raised me on a trapline and taught my siblings and I the traditional ways of our people, still inspire me today. The oblate priests and grey nuns who I spent weekends with growing up had a big impact on me. They taught me about the values of serving others because it’s the right thing to do. I also continue to be inspired by the voices of children and young people who are fighting for a better future.

What is your hidden talent?

I’m a surprisingly good dancer.

What do you wish you could do but can’t?

Teleport — it would save a lot of time when I’m travelling the roads across Northern Saskatchewan visiting with communities.

Who are the three people, dead or alive, that you’d love to have dinner with?

Elder Howard Walker, Dr. Pamela Palmater, and Billy Ray Belcourt.

How do you take your coffee?

One cream, one sugar.

What’s the one album you’d take with you on a desert island? What embarrassing song do you admit to on your playlist?

Coincidence and Likely Stories, Buffy St. Marie.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Listening to heavy metal, gospel, and pop music.

What is the last book you read?

I don’t have too much time for reading right now, but I’m looking forward to reading Harold Johnson’s new book Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada.