Jenica Atwin

[Housing, February 16th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, we are taking action to address the tremendous lack of safe, affordable housing and housing supports for indigenous peoples in urban, rural and northern communities. The for indigenous, by indigenous approach that guides our housing strategy will ensure successful approaches for communities in need. Since 2016, we have supported the construction, renovation and retrofit of over 30,000 homes in first nation communities and have continued to work with partners to co-develop a 10-year housing and infrastructure strategy. All levels of government must work together to solve this crisis and continue to push for indigenous-led solutions to address these gaps.

[Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the member is a great speaker in the House. I certainly enjoyed the story about one of my constituents. That was really great, and I agree. I am an advocate for mental health access. Actually, I did vote against the previous bill as well in the previous Parliament.

I really want to highlight that it is so important to create the clear distinction between suicidal ideation, what happens when someone is dealing with depression and wants to take their life, and medical assistance in dying. It is really important to have that distinction made.

I wonder if the member could comment on that.

[Government Business No. 34—Proceedings on Bill C-62, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the member whether he could speak more specifically to the work of the special committee and how important it was for us to be non-partisan in approach. Medical assistance in dying is such an important and deeply personal issue. It was really the work of the committee that helped us arrive at the decision.

[Foreign Affairs, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties—

[Health Care, February 13th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the only clinic offering surgical abortions in New Brunswick closed its doors. Clinic 554 was the only place to access the procedure in the capital region, as well as the only place offering gender-affirming health care.

Patients seeking abortions are now forced to drive to hospitals in Moncton or Bathurst. Not everyone has the luxury of time or transportation to travel cross-province. This creates disproportionate barriers for the most vulnerable people in our communities to accessing the essential care they need.

The right to reproductive choice is legally protected for all Canadians, but the Government of New Brunswick refuses to cover clinic-based abortions by medicare. Clinic 554 was also one of the few places where trans and gender-diverse New Brunswickers were able to access the information and health care they need. They now have nowhere left to turn.

This is unacceptable, especially since Fredericton is one of the most gender-diverse communities in Canada. Premier Higgs has demonstrated blatant disregard for trans and gender-diverse New Brunswickers, and now he has succeeded in removing their lifeline to gender-affirming care. This is unacceptable.

I am calling on the provincial government to take the necessary steps to protect reproductive choice and ensure everyone in New Brunswick has the health care they need.

[Indigenous Affairs, February 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, we know that northern communities are dealing with the impacts of climate change first-hand, and this is no different. Remote communities relying on winter roads are living with first-hand impacts. The pressures are real. There is a shorter season and a shorter window to work on infrastructure projects, such as schools and water plants.

We will do what it takes to make sure essential resources are delivered and communities have what they need throughout the year. I understand that meetings are in place right now with the Minister of Transport and the community leaders. We are going to get to the bottom of this and make sure they have access.

[Business of Supply, February 1st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for giving us this pseudolesson on economics.

It is confusing to me that he does not understand basic economic terminology such as “taxation”, since the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the carbon pricing system is not a concept of taxation and is understood in a constitutional context. What Conservatives really want us to do is axe the facts.

I understand that “axing a regulatory charge and the climate action incentive payment” is not a good bumper sticker slogan. What Conservatives want to do is distract Canadians from what is really happening, ignore the facts and ignore science while our country burns. I would like to hear a comment about that.

[National Ribbon Skirt Day, January 31st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, January 4 in Canada is National Ribbon Skirt Day. This day is the culmination of the hard work of Bella the Brave of Cote First Nation and indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, Senator Mary Jane McCallum and both Houses of Parliament, which offered unanimous support for a day that celebrates and uplifts indigenous women, girls and two-spirit peoples from coast to coast to coast.

Each year, the movement grows bigger. Reconciliation is a complex and multi-faceted process. National ribbon skirt day is but one piece of this important puzzle. Let me quote from the legislation:

Whereas Indigenous women are life-givers and are entrusted with traditional knowledge to care for their families, their communities and the environment;

Whereas the ribbon skirt is a centuries-old spiritual symbol of womanhood, identity, adaptation and survival and is a way for women to honour themselves and their culture;

Whereas the ribbon skirt represents a direct connection to Mother Earth and its sacred medicines.

This recognition is enshrined in law. Canada has come a very long way. Keep rocking those ribbon skirts.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs has nothing to report on this issue.

With regard to part (a), Indigenous Services Canada, ISC, officials have been directly involved with Wahpeton Dakota Nation’s project management team to support and assist the community in the preplanning, design and construction of a new school facility.

With regard to part (b), a new school for Wahpeton Dakota Nation is in the design stages. ISC is working with the community to ensure that the new school will meet the most current, recently updated standards in space allocation, building construction, education delivery, cultural and outdoor learning and proper learning environments to accommodate all students, including those with high needs.

With regard to part (c), portable classrooms were provided in an effort to remove students from the conditions that existed in the original building. Subsequent replacement of two of the original portable classrooms that were beyond repair is currently ongoing.

With regard to part (d), ISC is committed to successfully moving this project to tender and construction.

With regard to part (e), budgetary constraints, volatility in the construction market and a redesign due to changes in the school space accommodation standards have contributed to the delay in construction. Most recently, changes in the school space accommodation standards resulted in beneficial eligibility for the community to increase space allocations beyond the original design. The positive impact of the redesign provides long-term improvements to the educational spaces.

With regard to part (f), the new school may proceed to tendering and construction upon completion of planning and preconstruction project phases. The project management team estimates the redesign, with refined enrollment projections and additional space allocation through the updated school space accommodation standards, will be complete and ready for tender in November 2024.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Indigenous Business Directory, or IBD, assists indigenous businesses in pursuing business opportunities, including federal government contracts. A profile in the IBD confirms the indigenous business’ eligibility to be considered for award of federal government contracts that are limited to competition under the procurement strategy for indigenous business, or PSIB.

In order to ensure the integrity of the IBD, Indigenous Services Canada, or ISC, conducts audits to ensure that indigenous businesses meet the PSIB criteria and that set-aside requirements are effectively reserved for the PSIB-registered businesses. Pre-award and random audits are performed to verify that the indigenous business meets the ownership and control requirements and is mandatory for PSIB set-aside requirements valued at, or greater than, $2 million. A post-award audit is optional at the request of a contracting authority to ensure that the contractor meets the PSIB criteria during the contract, including the business’ ability to meet the indigenous content requirement.

As Coradix Technology Consulting is a non-indigenous company, and is not listed in the IBD, it would not be subject to a compliance audit under the IBD or PSIB. Since 2016, ISC holds records of Dalian Enterprises Inc. and Coradix Technology in joint venture undergoing two compliance audits to confirm 51% indigenous ownership and control.

First, a mandatory pre-award audit was concluded November 25, 2016, for contract T8080-150428 awarded by Transport Canada, with a result of “pass”.

Then, a mandatory pre-award audit was conducted August 9, 2022, for contract A0416-183262/001/ZM awarded by Public Services and Procurement Canada, with a result of “pass”.

To date, no post-award audits have been conducted. In December 2023, at the request of Public Services and Procurement Canada, ISC has initiated post-award audits on active contracts with Coradix Technology Consulting and Dalian Enterprises Inc.