Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, Minister, and your officials.
My question is related to the $2 million that will be reallocated from the contributions to grants through supplementary estimates. It's related to the on-reserve income assistance program and assisted living. In the main estimates, you identified a reduction of $40.4 million to the income assistance program. It's my understanding that a significant portion of the expected savings were linked to your department's policy shift from reasonable comparability to compliance with provincial rates and standards.
As we all know, this month the Federal Court struck down your policy to tie rates to provincial levels in Atlantic Canada. It found you owed more procedural fairness regarding your lack of consultation with first nations in Atlantic Canada. In fact, a judge said there was never any meaningful consultation about the merits of a strict application of provincial rates and eligibility criteria.
I can only assume from this case in Atlantic Canada that there has been a significant lack of consultation throughout the country. My question today would be, given the Federal Court ruling, will you be pausing the implementation of this policy shift in Atlantic Canada? And will you indeed be pausing the entire policy shift for the country?