Niki Ashton

[Northern Affairs, February 26th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are struggling with the rising cost of food, and it is even worse in northern and indigenous communities, where the lack of competition has allowed NorthMart, often the only option, to jack up the cost of food without consequence.

The Liberals are choosing to stand with wealthy CEOs instead of helping families afford food. In addition to competition, first nations like Garden Hill need reliable all-weather roads to be able to bring in food and supplies.

When will the Liberals stop subsidizing CEO profits, take on the grocery giants and stand up for northerners?

[Infrastructure, February 15th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment's recent comments that the Liberals have stopped investing in new road infrastructure and that the current system is perfectly adequate to respond to Canadians' needs is anti-northern and anti-indigenous. It is a death knell to isolated communities like Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and others that have been forced to call states of emergency because climate change has made their ice roads unreliable. Other Liberals have been actively engaged in finding solutions on this front.

Will the Minister of Environment retract his comments, work with his colleagues and first nations to build the all-weather road access they desperately need?

[Foreign Affairs, February 15th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are horrified as they witness, in real time, the killing of over 28,000 Palestinians, 67,000 injured and millions displaced.

This week's attack on Rafah, a refugee camp, is a clear sign that the far-right extremist government of Netanyahu will stop at nothing.

President Biden, the Prime Minister and other leaders asking the government of Israel to protect civilian life in the face of genocide has become farcical. Canada's latest joint statement in favour of an immediate ceasefire means nothing without concrete action.

It is time for Canada to cut off the supply of arms to Israel; stop the political legitimization of the Netanyahu government; reinstate funding for UNRWA, the only ones who can do the life-saving work needed; support the UN and UN agencies; and support the establishment of a Palestinian state.

History will judge us not by our words but by our actions. The government is not on the side of peace and justice, but rather complicity and genocide. It is time to act.

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

Madam Speaker, in terms of accessing MAID, we know that many people have shared their thoughts publicly, particularly through the media, about how desperate they feel and how they are not getting help from the social safety net. They need help with health care, housing and mental health therapies. Everyone knows we need to acknowledge that reality.

Does my colleague think our country is making progress if it recognizes the need to shore up our social safety net and provide the right supports to people who need them? That way, they will not ask for MAID if they do not really need it.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, February 9th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the process of reconciliation must move forward in our country, and the federal government must absolutely fulfill its obligation.

In my riding, a number of first nations are talking about the need for concrete measures on the ground. For them, reconciliation means putting an end to the third-world conditions that exist in their communities. Some clear examples include the housing crisis, the lack of infrastructure, particularly in the context of the climate crisis, and the lack of clean drinking water.

Does the member agree that reconciliation with first peoples also means improving the daily living conditions in first nations communities?

[Indigenous Affairs, February 8th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, four first nations, Wasagamack, Red Sucker Lake, St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill, have declared a state of emergency. They are unable to bring in fuel and other necessities; the ice roads they depend on have melted because of climate change. We are talking about thousands of people who are stranded. For years, the Liberals, like the Conservatives before them, have ignored the need for an all-weather road for these communities.

What will it take for the Liberals to help build the all-weather road needed for the first nations on the east side who are already paying the price for climate change?

[Climate Change, February 2nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, northern Manitoba is seeing temperatures above zero. We have had weather that is unheard of these last two months. Thousands of people in our region depend on ice roads to survive. Because of the warm weather, some roads have not opened and others will not last the season.

The Liberals have failed to act quickly to combat the climate emergency that is hitting indigenous communities the hardest. Investments in climate adaptation are needed now: an airport for Wasagamack and all-weather roads for St. Theresa Point, Oxford House and York Landing.

When will the Liberals finally act to deliver these life-saving investments?

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, January 31st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, the member across talked about the government's investments in housing, and I am proud of the NDP's work to fight for significant investments in housing and, in particular, a focus on urban and northern housing for indigenous peoples. However, we know that the current Liberal government is failing first nations when it comes to housing, and I am talking about on-reserve housing. Some of the most acute housing crises in our country are on first nations with what many in the communities I represent refer to as third world living conditions.

If we go beyond housing, we know there is an estimated$350-billion infrastructure gap in first nations, including the needs first nations have because of the disproportionate impacts they are facing with respect to climate change. Unfortunately, yet again, this fall economic statement is a missed opportunity for the Liberals to act on the priorities and the desperate needs of first nations on housing, on infrastructure and on climate change mitigation. I am wondering when the Liberals will finally act to make the investments on first nations that are desperately needed.

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to the utilization of the Canadian small business tax rate by oil and gas companies: (a) how many oil and gas companies, broken down by their primary line of business, such as upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation and storage, downstream refining and distribution, and others, have claimed the small business tax rate, in each of the last five fiscal years; (b) what percentage does this represent of all oil and gas companies operating within the country; (c) what is the total amount of tax revenue received from oil and gas companies that claimed the small business tax rate, in each of the last five fiscal years; (d) how does the amount of oil and gas companies claiming the small business tax rate compare to agriculture and forestry, both in number and as a percentage of total companies in the respective sector; (e) are there any mechanisms or audits in place to ensure that larger oil and gas entities are not creating smaller subsidiaries primarily to benefit from the small business tax rate, and, if so, how many audits or investigations related to this issue in the oil and gas sector have been initiated in the past five fiscal years; and (f) broken down by province, where are the oil and gas companies claiming the small business tax rate primarily operating?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, January 29th, 2024]

With regard to Indigenous Services Canada's monitoring of access to clean drinking water on reserve, broken down by province: (a) how many First Nations reserves do not have a community-based drinking water quality monitor; and (b) what percentage do not have a back-up or alternate?