Niki Ashton

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 28th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, first nations have worse health outcomes than other Canadians, yet the current Conservative government has shown total disregard for this fact.

The Auditor General revealed this morning that first nations in remote communities are being forced to seek health care from substandard clinics with undertrained staff. The government is not even trying to allocate services based on need or to make sure that first nations have the same care as other Canadians.

The question is, why does the current government think it is okay to treat first nations in a substandard way?

[Petitions, April 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition signed by hundreds of residents of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, who are sending a clear message calling on the government to reverse its cuts to home delivery. I acknowledge the work of Lon Borgerson and the members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in sharing these voices.

Home delivery is a fundamental service for people in Prince Albert and in communities across our country. The Government of Canada ought to listen to the people of Saskatchewan and all Canadians who call on their government to show some leadership and save our Canada Post.

[The Environment, April 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the question is: If the government is so proud, why has it cancelled the planned showcase of Canada's accomplishments when it comes to the Arctic?

In fact, we heard from the minister from Nunavut that it was cancelled because of “...the challenges of everything happening all at once”. The documents show that the meeting was cancelled because of direction from senior levels of the Canadian government.

Can the minister confirm that the meeting was cancelled because the Conservatives expected to be embarrassed by their own failures in the north?

[The Environment, April 24th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, the North is another file that is suffering because of the Conservatives' incompetence.

Canada is preparing to hand over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council among controversy and accusations that the Minister of the Environment has politicized the council. Let us hope that the United States will be able to repair the damage done by this government.

What does the minister have to say about such accusations that undermine co-operation at the council?

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 23rd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, today the family of Loretta Saunders joined their voices to the thousands of families, leaders, premiers, and Canadians who are calling for justice. They are calling for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.

To quote the powerful words of Loretta's mother: “Why are our children, our people, being murdered and killed more”.

What more is there to say than that? The question is, why is the government not calling a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 22nd, 2015]

With regard to the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation: (a) how much funding has been allocated for fire safety between 2011 and 2015, broken down by year; (b) what are the details of the budgeting and spending of $39 999 of funding for fire safety in 2014-2015; (c) how much funding has been allocated for training volunteer or professional firefighters from 2011 to 2015, broken down by year; (d) how much funding has been allocated for building inspections and regulations from 2011 to 2015, broken down by year; and (e) how much funding has been allocated for equipment maintenance and upkeep from 2011 to 2015, broken down by year?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, April 22nd, 2015]

With respect to the processing of Status Cards and of Secure Certificates of Indian Status by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, broken down by year from 2004 to 2014, and further broken down by (i) regular application, (ii) application under Bill C-3, Gender Equity in Indian Registration Act, (iii) number of Qalipu band members applying: (a) what is the number of applications; (b) how many are being processed; (c) how many employees are assigned to the processing of applications; (d) what is the amount budgeted for the processing of applications; (e) what is the average wait time for the processing of applications; (f) how many years behind is the processing of applications; and (g) what are the shortest and longest turnaround times on record for the processing of one application?

[Aboriginal Affairs, April 22nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, this is a budget that is failing another generation of first nations, Métis and Inuit children with inadequate funding for basic services like child welfare, education and health.

We should all know that no matter where children live in Canada, they should have access to quality education, but the Conservatives are more focused on blaming indigenous communities for their own failure with Bill C-33.

Why is the Prime Minister not honouring his pledge to invest $1.9 billion to bridge the education gap that first nations in Canada tragically face?

[Ethics, April 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, there is a major disconnect between what we hear coming out of the Senate and the serious issues that Canadians face on a daily basis.

Very soon the government will face a situation where many senators may end up in the same boat as Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin. What is the government's plan? What is it planning to do to the Senate?

[Violence Against Women, April 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, today across Canada people are coming together to call for justice for Cindy Gladue. By doing so, they are calling for justice for all missing and murdered indigenous women.

Lauren Crazybull, an activist from Alberta, said it well:

Cindy's case is so visibly unjust. Our community doesn't want to wait for another case to happen or another woman to go missing or be found murdered. This is our breaking point.

People and systems have tried to dehumanize Cindy Gladue, but today's calls for justice honour her memory. Like never before, communities are speaking out and standing up against systems' failures to address the high rates of violence faced by indigenous women in Canada.

Today thousands are gathered to send a direct message: no more missing and murdered indigenous women. Today they and we are calling for justice for Cindy Gladue and for all missing and murdered indigenous women.