After the party won a recent by-election in Winnipeg, the federal NDP has appointed North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney as critic for Public Services and Procurement.

Blaney鈥檚 duties will include becoming the new permanent member on the Standing Committee for Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO). One of the committee鈥檚 current priorities is studying Indigenous Procurement鈥揳 critical issue in the wake of data showing that billions of dollars in federal contracts intended for Indigenous businesses were awarded without verifying bidders鈥� Indigenous, M茅tis, or Inuit status.

鈥淭he Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB) has been plagued by confusion, contradictions, and a serious lack of transparency,鈥� Blaney said. 鈥淲ith more than 20 First Nations in my riding, I鈥檝e witnessed firsthand how poorly designed programs like PSIB negatively affect Indigenous communities. It鈥檚 unacceptable that so much funding was awarded without proper safeguards to ensure the businesses were eligible. This highlights the deep systemic biases in our procurement processes.鈥�

Blaney's goal will be on ensuring transparency and accountability in policies, particularly around Indigenous procurement.

鈥淭his has been an ongoing issue for years,鈥� Blaney says. 鈥淚ndigenous groups have repeatedly told the government that there is a huge problem with the PSIB, but Liberal and Conservative governments have refused to take any action to fix the situation. While I鈥檓 sad to be leaving Seniors and Rural Economic Development, I鈥檓 grateful that Jagmeet Singh has asked me to bring my experience and leadership to this file and I know my colleague will do an outstanding job advocating for seniors.鈥�

In addition to her new responsibilities, Blaney will continue serving as the NDP critic for Veterans Affairs. Bonita Zarrillo (NDP MP, Port Moody鈥揅oquitlam) has been appointed the NDP critic for Seniors.