Blake Desjarlais

The discovery that pollution from a paper mill is contributing to long-standing mercury poisoning afflicting the nearby First Nation is another example of how widespread and persistent the problem has become, federal MPs say.

MPs lambasted federal and provincial governments in question period Friday for failing to hold polluting corporations accountable in the wake of tailings leaks in northern Alberta.

Federal politicians have joined the chorus of anger over Imperial Oil’s failure to alert a downriver First Nations community of a massive release of oilsands tailings first reported last May.

“These are real people — why is it taking so long to address what is the basic human rights of people?” NDP MP Blake Desjarlais said in a public accounts committee meeting regarding the overrepresentation of Indigenous offenders.

The NDP wants to see increased funding for housing for Indigenous Peoples on and off reserve, greater accountability for MMIWG2S+, and more funding for climate resiliency.

Less than two per cent of a $742-million fund allocated by the feds to prevent violence against Indigenous women, girls and two-spirited peoples has been spent.

In June, NWAC gave the federal government a failing grade in its report card of the federal government’s National Action Plan on MMIWG2S.

Earlier this week, Edmonton-Griesbach’s MP demanded answers from an oil and gas industry representative on whether companies intend to cough up an estimated $253 million owed to rural communities in Alberta.

The body in charge of administering Canada’s elections was taken by surprise by an announcement that there could be major reforms coming to the way people vote, including a three-day-long polling day.

Blake Desjarlais says he represents what Alberta is truly about and it's not what the rest of Canada might think.

Jagmeet Singh warned on Thursday, October 7, 2021, that he is willing to "withhold votes" for Liberal legislation he does not agree with, including the budget.

Singh announced he is appointing Bob Dewar, a veteran NDP political strategist, to lead a review into what succeeded and what went wrong with the NDP's election campaign.

Jagmeet Singh is to tell the first meeting of the NDP caucus that pursuing Indigenous rights — including access to clean drinking water — will be a key priority for the party in this Parliament.

As Canada marked its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday, two of Canada’s newly elected Indigenous MPs reflected on what the federal government — and all Canadians — can do to further reconciliation.

Justin Trudeau's Liberals have picked up one more seat in Quebec, pushing them slightly ahead of the Bloc Quebecois in the province.