Churchill-Keewatinook Aski MP Niki Ashton is urging the Liberal government to take action to tackle sky-high food, fuel, heating, and rent costs in northern and Indigenous communities.

The federal NDP is specifically asking them to reform the Nutrition North program so that money goes directly to the people, as well as removing the GST on home heating.

Ashton and Nunavut MP Lori Idlout explain those initiatives should be paid for through a windfall tax on big fuel, grocery, and big box companies.

An NDP press release states the Parliamentary Budget Office estimates the windfall tax would generate over four billion dollars over five years, which could then be invested into programs like Nutrition North.

The federal NDP is pointing to prominent northern grocery chain Northmart, which they say saw 157 million dollars in net earnings in 2021, and accused the Trudeau government of protecting the profits of large corporations.