As the Parliamentary session wound down last week northern Manitoba Member of Parliament Niki Ashton reported her bill that would have given Indigenous and northern communities the tools they need to take on the catastrophic impacts of climate change has been blocked by Liberal and Conservative Members of Parliament. She says the NDP bill aimed to modify the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s mandate.  She explains our region and northern and Indigenous communities need infrastructure in ways that render our region more resilient to climate change.  She notes we know that climate change is already having an impact on our region so they said we need to reform the Crown Corporation, get rid of the corporate profit that is provided by it and make this about infrastructure that our communities need.

Ashton adds the bill would have also increased transparency on the Bank’s spending and required First Nation, Inuit and Metis representation on its board.