Niki Ashton

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 12th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, we have heard a lot today from Liberal members around the concern over violence in communities across the country.

I want to bring attention to a concern in my riding in the north and a concern that we are seeing across the country when it comes to first nations specifically with the suicide crisis that is taking place. Young people are taking their own lives. As a result, communities are taking unprecedented steps to issue emergency calls for help. It is taking too long for the federal government to even recognize these calls for help. It is taking too long for it to step in and even begin to hear from the leadership and the young people who are most impacted.

While I appreciate the concern around people taking the lives of others, where is the government's priority when it comes to first nations and recognizing the immediate crisis that is taking place on too many first nations and the need to take direct action to prevent these suicides from taking place?

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 12th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague's message. She talked about her interest in social issues and the consequences of insufficient government support.

People back home who are grappling with mental health or financial problems cannot access the government programs and support they need.

The NDP often talks about the disastrous impact of growing inequality in our society and the problems that have gotten worse, such as mental health and poverty.

I would like to know what she thinks about that, and about the need to put resources in place to help people escape from poverty and access the services they need.

[Business of Supply, December 10th, 2019]

Madam Speaker, I would like to give my colleague an opportunity to share some thoughts.

Here we are in a new Parliament. We are in a minority setting, with the same Prime Minister and many of the same players in the government, with a chance to speak of Canada having a broken relationship. Coming from western Canada, I am deeply concerned about the billions of dollars' worth of agricultural products that are no longer being sold in China, the kinds of opportunities for our economic well-being that are no longer being acted upon and the way in which the government has allowed a key relationship to be broken, something that is having a devastating impact on people in my part of the country.

[Indigenous Affairs, December 10th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, on October 21, first nations and Métis people in Churchill—Keewatinook Aski sent a message to the Liberal government: enough of promising a new relationship and doing the opposite; enough of promising the Dene to settle the north of 60 land claim and bailing; enough of promising to solve the housing crisis and failing; enough of ignoring the suicide crisis in Gods Lake Narrows where over 100 people, primarily young girls, have attempted suicide in the last four months.

Will the Minister of Indigenous Services acknowledge that the Liberals failed on their promises and act urgently on the issues facing first nations and Métis people?

[The Environment, December 6th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, the planet is warming. The verdict is clear. We are running out of room to manoeuvre. People in the North are already living with the effects of climate change. The ice season is getting shorter and our infrastructure is at risk.

The throne speech does not even mention this. Ending oil subsidies would have been a start, but not buying any more pipelines is not even mentioned. In fact, I wonder what the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie thinks about this. Clearly, he is finally discovering just what the Liberal Party's legacy is.

Why are the Liberals refusing to take action?

[Natural Resources, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, a Vale tailings dam by my community of Thompson has been flagged by outside investigators for stability concerns. Vale told its shareholders of this, but not people living on the ground. In fact, it took an investigative report from The Wall Street Journal for this to come to light. No one wants another Mount Polley disaster, but this is a company that has shown repeatedly that it does not take these kinds of safety concerns seriously.

What is the government doing to ensure the protection of the people and the environment around Thompson and in our north?

[Indigenous Affairs, June 17th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, four years ago, people in our north held out hope when it came to the Liberal government's commitments with words like “reconciliation”, “nation-to-nation relationships”, “support for the middle class” and “champion on climate change”. However, fast forward four years, and the shine is off.

The housing crisis on first nations is worse than it was. Health care continues to be underfunded and inadequate, and when it comes to middle-class jobs, our north has lost hundreds of them, and the federal government has not lifted a finger.

As for climate change, not only has Canada failed, but first nations and northern communities are paying the price. The disappearing ice roads point to the urgent need for all-weather roads, and as wildlife is impacted, so are people. There must be immediate action.

Enough of the talk. First nations, Métis and northern people deserve a federal government on their side, one that works with them to take on climate change and crushing inequality. The Liberals are not the answer, and we cannot go back to the Conservatives. Only the NDP will fight for our north and our Canada.

[Pharmacare, June 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, people in our north and across the country are forced to make impossible choices because of the high cost of medication.

It is inconceivable that in 2019, in Canada, people have to choose between buying food and medication. Liberals have been putting pharmaceutical and insurance companies in the driver's seat, but the Hoskins advisory board is clear: Canadians need a universal, public, single-payer pharmacare.

This is what the NDP has been pushing for. Enough of the half-measures and the favours to the Liberals' corporate friends. Will the Liberal government implement universal, comprehensive, public pharmacare, yes or no?

[The Environment, June 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want bold action on climate change, and they know that there is no time to waste.

The NDP has called on the government to invest in green jobs and green energy, but what did the Prime Minister do? He bought fridges and pipelines for his billionaire pals. Four years in power, and all we have seen from the Liberal government are more subsidies for big oil and its pipelines. This is not how we save the environment.

When will the Liberals stop siding with the big polluters so we can win the fight against climate change?

[Indigenous Affairs, June 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the government betrayed the Dene in northern Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan. For years, they have been negotiating to pursue their right to land and resources north of 60.

They were so close to reaching an agreement. A few weeks ago, they were told one thing about consultations and initialling and then at the last minute, the minister reversed her position.

This is an egregious act of bad faith. It sets the Dene communities back years. It is the opposite of reconciliation.

What will the minister do to fix this major problem?