Evidence of meeting #41 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was aboriginal.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
I don't think there are any questions from the government side.
Mr. Lemay.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Spoil me, you don't, Mr. Chair, but you're kind. Thank you.
Has the money flowed to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation? They had not received their moneys as of late January, early February. Has that money gone to the foundation?
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I can report, Mr. Chairman, that once we've been through the proper channels to have that approved, there will be an advance of the $125 million to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation . The $125 million was to be made available on implementation date. That has been delayed, as you know. Up to $25 million will be made available through that process.
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
As soon as we can go through Treasury Board.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
Again, when do you expect that to be? They are really scrambling to hold it together at the moment.
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I expect that will be the end of April. We're working closely with them on a daily basis.
12:30 p.m.
Conservative
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
That will be an arm's-length foundation.
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There was a question about communications, Mr. Chair, and perhaps I could answer that.
12:30 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
This is a big challenge. Under court authority, we will be moving into a notice plan. This is laid out in great detail in the settlement agreement. Once we know we're moving forward on a firm basis, there will be a six-week plan. That will include over 20,000 information mail-outs. We'll be advertising in 36 aboriginal newspapers and 35 mainstream newspapers, including local newspapers. We will have over 240 advertisements on aboriginal radio and television. We expect that well over 20 million people will be informed through this.
I think it's fair to say that the $4 million spent on the communications is probably one of the largest efforts of a class action suit of this kind. We have professional advice on how to do this.
Madame Wilson and her officials and my officials spend a lot of time in communities meeting with survivors to explain what this is all about and how it will move forward. We work very closely with the aboriginal organizations. The Assembly of First Nations will also be very proactive in supporting this. Indeed, there is a meeting with survivors next week to talk about the common experience program.
12:35 p.m.
NDP
12:35 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes.
12:35 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
It will obviously be English and French, but in the main aboriginal—
12:35 p.m.
Senior Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Cree, Ojibway, Inuktitut. I can't tell you precisely.
