Evidence of meeting #28 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 million.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There's a very big piece of training that's under HRSDC, and the ASEP and ARDA programs as well.
I think the challenge for us as officials and for ministers will be to make sure that the pieces of economic development, what we do, what HRSDC does, fit together.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
One of the easy ways to handle this is that there is a horizontal question throughout departments—
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
That's right.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
When I was on the women's committee, I argued strongly for a gender-based analysis across departments.
It would seem that it would also be responsible to have first nations, Métis, and Inuit analyses as programs are announced, because it's not only on reserve, it's off reserve as well. I'm concerned to hear that you don't seem to be aware of what's happening with the ARDA agreements, because they're up for renewal, it's my understanding.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I'm aware that they're up for renewal, and the minister of HRSDC and the deputy are working on the renewal. A lot of what my officials do is they just work day in and day out with the other departments, and we take the responsibility for trying to bring some coherence and leadership very seriously.
There used to be a secretariat at the Privy Council Office, under the previous government, that tried to do the coordination. That was done away with, so I think we have to fill a little bit of the void in terms of talking to other departments. We work with Fisheries, we work with Health, we work with HRSDC.
The Treasury Board Secretariat has an inventory of all government spending on aboriginals, which is on their Internet site and is available to you, that shows all $9 billion across 22 departments and agencies. We're responsible for $6 billion of that $9 billion, but the other big pieces are health, housing, and so on.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
Madam Crowder, if you have a desire to know what is going to happen with the friendship centres, as far as funding is concerned, you can make that request to the appropriate ministry, and if there is any recommendation that you feel this committee should forward for increased funding, the chair would take that into consideration and present it to the committee.
Thank you very much to the witnesses from the department for being here today. We really appreciate the time and information. Carry on doing the good work.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
If there are any follow-up questions, or anything where there's a little bit of extra paper or for people to come back and explain things, we'd be happy to talk to the committee clerk.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
Thank you very much.
Committee, we have a half hour in which to deal with three items. There is the trip to the UN in New York. Madam Crowder has a couple of motions, and there is also Pikangikum, a response to that. I want to follow up on that.
How would you like to deal with those? Would you like to deal with them in public or in camera?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
That's fine.
Committee members, the clerk will hand out budget figures for a trip to New York. We understand that today there will be a vote at the third level committee on this issue. I haven't had clear information of when the actual vote would take place.
Madam Neville.
Liberal
Anita Neville Liberal Winnipeg South Centre, MB
It appears that the vote is going to go ahead today, on the Namibian amendment to the resolution. It's the second item on the agenda. It's the African bloc's effort to block the resolution. Right now, the estimated vote count is a close one, and we'll have some idea a little later in the day whether this will move onto the third committee for further discussion. It's happening, maybe, as we speak.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
So it's up in the air right now.
As I said earlier, there's a budget here; it's around $32,000. It's not a cheap place to go.
What is the pleasure of the committee now? Should we put this on hold until we have information from what happens today?
Conservative
Bloc
Marc Lemay Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Mr. Chair, we must adopt this budget proposal. Two possibilities have been laid before us.
Firstly, the third committee could vote as has been requested by the African bloc. Consequently, we would not have to spend that amount to travel there. That is obvious.
However, if the African bloc decides to vote in favour of appearing before the United Nations as it considers adopting the declaration, we will need those funds to travel to New York and make representations.
We may not have to use the funds. However, it is obvious that if we do not adopt this budget today, we will have to write off the whole thing, because we will not be meeting before January, and perhaps even later. That is why I recommend that we adopt the budget, even though we may not have to use it, and could return it at the beginning of January.
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I support Monsieur Lemay's motion. This has to go to the Liaison Committee, so if we delay until Tuesday there won't be any hope.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
Right, and then it has to be approved by the House.
(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
We'll ask the clerk to report to the Liaison Committee on that budget. I will present it.
On the second item, Madam Crowder, you forwarded two motions on possible witnesses. Do you want to speak to that, please?
NDP
Jean Crowder NDP Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC
I do.
I forwarded two motions. One was to have the correctional service investigator come before the committee, because there was a substantial amount of information in his report that specifically referred to first nations, Métis, and Inuit.
Both of these are reports that I've suggested we bring witnesses forward.... Part of my fear is that these reports are tabled in the House and nothing ever happens. I think it is important for the committee to hear from these witnesses, and we could do it all in one meeting. I'm not sure how full our schedule is. There may be an opportunity before we break, at the meeting on December 14. Both of these are really important reports.
The other one is the Cree-Naskapi Commission, which does a biannual report. But again, it goes into a void that we never hear from and don't know what the follow-up has been.
In the correctional investigator's report he talks about problems that have been identified for 20 years. If it came to the committee, it might get more attention.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Do we know what date might be available prior to Christmas?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Colin Mayes
I'm just looking now. On Thursday we do not have a meeting. On Tuesday we'll be going through the clause-by-clause on Bill C-292. There really isn't a lot there.