Evidence of meeting #19 for Government Operations and Estimates in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:25 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
That's right.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
4:25 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
The $179 million we're asking for is to make additional payments under the individual assessment process.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Where do I find that in the mains? You're asking for additional money. What was the number in the mains that you asked for to begin with?
4:25 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We have received $136 million for 2011-12, from which we've reprofiled $43.4 million. I don't have the mains; I can get them. But these are the additional funds we are seeking for the IAP—
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
So you're asking for an additional $179 million, minus the $43 million you didn't spend last year. That's why it's being reprofiled. Is that correct?
4:25 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Exactly.
4:25 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Did we underestimate how much we were going to spend in the mains when we did them?
4:25 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I wouldn't say we underestimated. It is application-driven. We receive about 430 applications, but it varies. So our best guesstimates last year would be that we would be settling about $3.6 million, which we did, with 3,500 hearings, which we did. This year we're looking at 4,000 hearings, and we're going towards it.
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We're trying to keep our productivity higher, but then we have more settlements.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
So based on those numbers, assuming that's the average you're getting, I'm assuming the hearings go on, they're probably more difficult—
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
You're absolutely right, they're more complex as time goes by.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We anticipate doing 4,000 this year and 4,500 for the next two years.
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
And the adjudication secretariat thinks they'll have 2,000 to 2,500 hearings to do in the third year, so 2012-13, 2013-14, and then 2014-15.
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Exactly.
4:30 p.m.
Conservative
Mike Wallace Conservative Burlington, ON
Based on what we're doing, will you be able to better estimate from the mains what we're going to be doing?
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes, you are right.
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We have six years of experience, which is helping us.
4:30 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs Sector, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Thank you.