Evidence of meeting #150 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was services.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
What issues are you seeing that are different than before, with two new departments? Is there anything that's changed in your department? Is there anything that you're dealing with now that you didn't deal with when it was under one umbrella?
Senior Counsel, CIRNAC/ISC Legal Services, Operations and Programs Section, Department of Justice
Do you mean in terms of legal issues?
Senior Counsel, CIRNAC/ISC Legal Services, Operations and Programs Section, Department of Justice
That's a good question. Of course, since the government's announcement and then the principals and the relationship, nation-to-nation, it has.... Yes, I would say there are new legal issues. It is also owing to UNDRIP and how we implement UNDRIP. Those are new issues that hadn't come up before or had only come up in the last two years or so.
Conservative
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Does your department have the capacity to handle that?
Senior Counsel, CIRNAC/ISC Legal Services, Operations and Programs Section, Department of Justice
We have the capacity to support our clients to handle that.
Conservative
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Good.
Mr. Tremblay, it's interesting.... How is the gradual transfer, I guess, to indigenous organizations going? The word gradual can mean decades in some cases.
Deputy Minister, Department of Indigenous Services Canada
Yes. We actually developed a new line of business, where we want to identify and report in the future on the services that are outside of the departments. The question would be how it grows over the years. If you look at the 85 grants we have now, and there's no reason to believe we can't have more in the next few years, that's a significant amount of money and a significant amount of first nations communities that would be managing their services. It doesn't mean we will necessarily disappear completely at that stage; it means our relationship with those first nations will be dramatically different. It's not a relationship about compliance in actual programs but more about relationships—i.e., “How are things are going, and how can I help you?”
So I think it's encouraging. What we're trying to do more and more is identify the next steps, because you're right, it could be a long road. The question is how you celebrate and identify the milestones. As I mentioned, we're working on the health side and on education. The question for us is about the repertoire of next steps we can take on that side, and also working with our colleagues at Crown-Indigenous Relations. One that would be interesting to see, if the legislation passes, which I'm sure it will, is child and family services. That's another one we're looking at. There's a lot of interest in health and social services and a lot of interest in education. We signed a self-government agreement in northern Ontario on education, and it's a really significant one. There's interest in Quebec in health and social programs together. If you look at the map across the country, that plus the grants can achieve significant results, I think, over the next few years.
I would just remind you that in B.C. we don't have a regional office dealing with health issues. We completely transferred it. We closed the shop years ago with the creation of the First Nations Health Authority. So this is something that would be possible to do in the future. It might not be at the provincial level; it could be subregional, depending on what the partners would want.
Conservative
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
I was interested in your comment about education, because we had the Auditor General come here; last year there was a scathing report that we're not reaching our graduation rates. Now you're forming some school boards, as you said earlier, when other jurisdictions, such as Nova Scotia, are getting rid of their school boards. Quebec's talked about getting rid of them. Manitoba's talked about getting rid of them. Yet you're going in the opposite direction. Why would that be?
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
I'm going to suspend for a few minutes, but before I do that.... We did schedule two full hours. I understand from this side that there is still interest to have perhaps a reduced amount of time, but the full hour may not be needed.
I'm looking for a bit of a discussion. Do we wish to terminate?
Cathy.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Madam Chair, this speaks again to my original motion where we wanted the officials here for an hour. I think they've been very diligent. We really wanted to have witnesses for the second hour. The fact that we were voted down on that particular issue really is dismaying to me, because it means we did not commit to doing our job. We have time. We could have had witnesses who could have spoken directly to, or might have pointed out a few issues with, the legislation.
It's certainly a dismay to me that my colleagues did not support that particular plan for dealing with this very important piece of legislation.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
But on the idea of letting these individuals go on to run their departments and get rid of the Indian Act...? Just saying; that would be my opinion.
Rachel.
NDP
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
I still have questions, Madam Chair, and I don't believe I got my second round. I think I get one more. I didn't get my three minutes.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
You lost your three minutes because we ran out of time on the clock.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
I'll look to the government. Can we extend this for another round, perhaps, to allow all members—
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
On a point of order, Madam Chair, I believe this meeting was called for two hours.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
It wasn't called for an hour. To cut off my NDP colleague before her three minutes.... It was a two-hour meeting that was called, so it's not an agreement to extend. It should have gone to her, and it should have continued until there was a decision that we didn't need to have any more questions.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal MaryAnn Mihychuk
Well, it is scheduled for two hours. We do have MP Blaney on the list for her three-minute question.
I see MP Amos.
Liberal
Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON
No, it's me. I didn't have my round of questions, Chair.
Liberal
William Amos Liberal Pontiac, QC
My suggestion would simply be that, of course, if members opposite, and member Bossio, would like to continue—unless our side feels the need to continue asking questions—we'd forgo those opportunities. The opposition can continue as they see fit. If, at any point, there's a question on our side that we think needs addressing, based on what has been asked.... Otherwise, we should forgo on our side, so that the important work of the government can proceed.