Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on June 6th, 2012

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

There's one minute left, if you have a supplementary question. Otherwise, we'll move on to the next questioner.

Mr. Bevington, we'll turn to you for five minutes.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Seeing that we have a new procedure in committee now, and seeing that I'm sure your decision to proceed in this fashion will be upheld by your majority, I'll try to find something to talk about here.

I'm very glad the minister is here, but I find this procedure is very limited, compared to other occasions over the past seven years when we've had ministers in front of the committees on supplementary estimates.

I'm curious about page 67 under contributions. You have $420,000 for “Contributions promoting the safe use, development, conservation and protection of the North's natural resources”. Is that with reference to the high Arctic research station as well, or is that something separate?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

What page are you on there?

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Page 67.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

That's a transfer from vote 5 to vote 10 for the high Arctic research station. You're correct in that.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Can you describe the process by which you've come to the conclusion that the high Arctic research centre is under...? Is there a research agenda that you can point to within the Government of Canada that says that the investment in the high Arctic research centre is really such a primary investment? Is there an agenda for Arctic research? Is that something we can have tabled in front of this committee?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

There absolutely is an agenda and a strategy. I can tell you that the time I spent at the International Polar Year Conference in Montreal was very enlightening as to the work that's been done up until now, and the synergy, I guess for lack of a better word—

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Are you prepared to present that agenda to this committee, table the agenda with the committee?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Certainly we can provide a lot of background on science in the north, and—

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

So I'll look forward to the direction of that facility.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

I can tell you that based on the international requests to participate in research at that facility, we are very readily going to be oversubscribed. We're going to have a very large success on our hands, for sure.

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Once again, this leaves us with very few avenues to talk about things that I think are very important to be brought in front of this committee. I don't know whether you'd be....

We're taking money out of the conservation and protection of the north's natural resources, or transferring it over. Does that impact on the NWT protected area strategy? Are you looking at continuing with financing that strategy going forward?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

There is no impact from the estimates in any way, shape, or form.

I would like to say that there's been a lot of procedural wrangling here. I have now been in the House of Commons for 16 years. I sat on this committee for many years. I can tell you that we never would have seen a minister before this committee after supplementary estimates had been reported. I think I'm probably the first minister to ever do that.

I'm happy to talk about supplemental estimates (A). If you want to invite me back for something else, I'm happy to come back for something else. I shouldn't be subject to criticism for appearing here and not talking about whatever comes up. I came here on the nature of supplementary estimates (A).

[Dennis Bevington, NDP, Western Arctic, NT]

Mr. Minister, the decisions about supplementary estimates are being made by the chair here, not by you, and I appreciate your being here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Thank you, Mr. Bevington. Your five minutes are up.

I will refer members to the document that was circulated by the analyst to the committee. There's a fair bit of documentation related to supplementary (A) estimates. If there is a difficulty in coming up with questions, I know that the reference material will assist you in that.

We'll now turn to Mr. Rickford for five minutes.

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here today.

I have some specific questions, Minister, on a couple of key initiatives that focus on information communications technology. I'm pleased to see these in supplementary estimates (A). Obviously, in the great Kenora riding we understand the challenges on the programmatic end of things and that the need to develop information and communications technology is essential. So I would proceed in this way.

I'd like you to explain, Minister, what the government is going to do with respect to the former first nations SchoolNet program and its youth initiatives, as it is a line item here in the estimates.

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Thank you very much for the question.

This is another interesting example of a program that was born in a different department; that was Industry Canada. It was transferred to this department in December of 2006. It was a program that sunsetted in March of last year and was consolidated into the new Paths for Education program as the information communication technology component. Annual funding for this component is almost $6.7 million.

The initiative under first nations SchoolNet youth activities was incorporated into the first nations and Inuit youth employment strategy. Funding for that is $2.6 million. It's used to fund seven information technology regional management organizations that help support first nations youth on reserve with Internet communication technology, skills training, and, most importantly, work experience needed to find employment or to continue their education. Participants also can assist their own schools, of course, with ongoing technical support.

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

We've had an opportunity to visit some of the larger regions in this country. Particularly, you and I were in Thunder Bay. We understood then, I think, the importance of broadband development for specific programs, but I think the general statement can be made that we're focusing on capacity and experience with modern technology.

As we drill down, of course, we start talking about specific programs and their impact on youth and the delivery of certain health programs. So my next question, with respect to another item here in the supplementary estimates (A), is the $2 million for funding for the first nations child and family services information management system—pursuant to the specific request of my colleague across the way, in her motion, to talk about supplementary estimates (A).

I know there is a lot of other stuff going on in child and family services that we can look forward to, but with respect to this allocation, as it's laid out in this estimate, how will the money be spent for the information management system for first nations child and family services?

[John Duncan, Conservative, Vancouver Island North, BC]

Thank you for the question.

I think we all know how important child and family services is on reserve—and the six agreements we've signed across the country with provinces, which are making a positive difference.

One thing in getting to better outcomes is to be able to measure outcomes, so we're building a first nations child and family services information management system to strengthen our accountability and delivery of this programming. The system will help us to better support first nations children and family well-being.

There's $2 million identified in fiscal 2012-13 to build phase one, which will automate and enable reporting on information that funding recipients and service providers currently supply to the department. The total cost of the system is estimated to be $8 million. In addition, commencing in 2014-15, we will spend $1 million per year for maintenance of the system. We've already invested $4 million gathering all the requirements for the system. The project is on time and within budget.

I might add that this whole exercise responds directly to recommendations from the Auditor General.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

We'll turn to Ms. Hughes for the last question.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

I'll give this a try.

As you know, the Harada report released this week revealed that 59% of the people in Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nation had symptoms of mercury poisoning.

I am referring to page 64, vote (S) of the supplementary estimates, on this one.

They had symptoms of mercury poisoning, and 34% of them would have been diagnosed with Minamata disease. This shows that the symptoms of mercury poisoning are carrying on into the next generation; yet only one out of four people diagnosed by the Japanese expert received compensation, and those payments aren't indexed to inflation.

I'm surprised to see that the supplementary estimates include only $15,000 for the Mercury Disability Board. I'm wondering whether you feel this is enough money, given the scope of the research that was just recently released. How did you come to that number? is there some consideration to indexing those payments to inflation in the future?

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Ms. Hughes, I hate to do this, but there has been no adjustment to the $15,000, so there is no change as it relates to the supplementary estimates.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

I understand. I just want some clarification as to where they got the $15,000.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris Warkentin]

Okay, well, that wouldn't be under supplementary estimates (A).

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Well, it's part of the supplementary estimates (A) document that we've received. One of them is the budgetary authorities, and then there is—