Government Operations Committee on Oct. 24th, 2024

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Okay.

Ms. Wilson, you have been the deputy minister at Indigenous Services Canada for over two years, but you mentioned in this meeting that you have only just started to reach out to indigenous groups for their help in verifying businesses on the list.

Could you please tell the committee why it took you this long to reach out to indigenous groups to get them involved in the verification process? Can you also tell us what role indigenous groups will be playing in the verification process?

[Gina Wilson]

I have been at Indigenous Services Canada for two years, but the process we are discussing and you have referenced was under way two years before, so we are, in fact, four years into this discussion with indigenous partners.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

I'm reflecting back on the testimony you provided earlier in this meeting. Thank you for that clarification.

I would ask that you then answer the second question, about what role indigenous groups will be playing in the verification process.

[Gina Wilson]

I'm going to ask Jessica to once again explain some of the discussions and the reforms under way that we're talking about under the transformative indigenous procurement strategy.

[Jessica Sultan]

Thank you.

The desire, the goal, is to transfer the indigenous business directory to indigenous people. In that scenario, it would be indigenous people who would be verifying indigenous businesses.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Thank you very much for that.

Mr. Chair, I would like to move a motion at this time. The motion has been given to the clerk in both official languages.

I will read it into the record now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Just give me one second, please.

I'm just making sure that the clerk has it. He's going to send it out.

Please go ahead.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

It reads:

That the committee report to the House that it calls on Indigenous Services to recover funds given to non-indigenous companies that took advantage of the indigenous set-aside.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

I'll give everyone 30 seconds to receive the email, and we'll start a speaking list.

I have Mr. Kusmierczyk and then Mr. Sousa.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Chair, again, since we just received this motion, would you mind allowing us a quick, two-minute suspension?

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Yes. We'll keep it to two minutes, please.

We'll suspend.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Thank you for your patience. We're back.

Mr. Kusmierczyk, do you want to speak to this as well, or did you only want to ask for the suspension? If not, we'll go to Mr. Sousa.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

I'm happy to yield the floor to Mr. Sousa and come back around.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Go ahead, Mr. Sousa and then Ms. Atwin.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

We have an amendment to the motion, and I now yield to Ms. Atwin.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Oh, oh! You could have just gone to directly to her.

Go ahead, Mrs. Atwin.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

It's my understanding that this is beyond the authority that Indigenous Services Canada has, and so we would like to amend the motion to read as follows:

That the committee call on Indigenous Services to recommend that funds be recovered if given to non-indigenous companies that took advantage of the indigenous set-aside.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

You are removing “report to the House”.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

It would remove the reporting to the House component, and it would add that it's a recommendation from Indigenous Services Canada.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Could you repeat it a bit more slowly, so we can type it in, please?

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Sure. It reads:

That the committee call on Indigenous Services to recommend that funds be recovered if given to non-indigenous companies that took advantage of the indigenous set-aside.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Mr. Boulerice, go ahead on the amendment.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Chair, I would just like a rationale for the amendment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kelly McCauley]

Go ahead.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

It's not within their authority. They've already mentioned that it's a possible outcome should that be an issue that's already been identified, so it's keeping it within the scope and authority of Indigenous Services Canada.