Opposition MPs and the government clashed Thursday over the Tories' dismissal of the United Nations rapporteur's critical comments on access to food in northern Canada.
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NDP MP Jean Crowder accused Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq - who hails from Nunavut - during question period of shooting the messenger after the minister called De Schutter "ill-informed" and bashed him for not setting foot in the North.
"The government is ignoring the facts," Crowder charged. "The first step is admitting there is a problem. Will the minister at least do that?"
Aglukkaq responded that the Belgian academic had no right to talk about access to food in Canada's North when his own country frowned at the seal hunt - a key component of traditional Inuit practice.
"How dare he come to Canada to study us, once again, from afar and declare what is best for us as Inuit in our country?" she asked.
"He should look at the European Union position on the seal hunt and look at the impact on food security of Canadian Inuit, instead of coming here to tell us what to do and what is best for us."
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