Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 28th, 2016

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Yes.

[Romeo Saganash, NDP, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

To finish on that point, how do you respond to the tribunal's second compliance ruling, which among other things expressed concern that the department's rationale for its current funding is similar to the old discriminatory funding formula of the previous government?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

We're concerned that there has been miscommunication among the tribunal in what we're trying to do. That's the reason we had asked to be able to better explain those kinds of things in a facilitated conversation with the Human Rights Commission in order for us to come together and figure out how we're not only going to fund properly but fund best practices, and get on with the reform.

Maybe Paula or Diane know what we actually put in the answer to that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Very briefly, if you can.

[Paula Isaak]

Some of the discriminatory practice of the earlier funding was the lack of prevention across the country, so that was fixed.

The other piece was that we didn't want to unilaterally change the formula on which the funding was based without doing consultation. We're using some of the existing formulas and ensuring we're doing deep engagement.

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Thank you.

Mr. McLeod.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the minister and her staff for meeting with us again today.

I want to thank you for the attention you have been paying to the Northwest Territories. We have had a lot of good discussions, and I'm anticipating we're going to make some good headway on a number of fronts.

One of our biggest challenges in the Northwest Territories is the high cost of living. Getting food and fuel into the communities is something that's becoming increasingly challenging as the effects of climate change are starting to really become issues within our communities.

The solution, of course, is to build roads to our communities, or adequate airports with runways that are long enough to support planes coming in with full loads. Right now we have support coming into a lot of our communities that are only accessible by airplanes coming in with half loads, half the number of passengers, so it's increasing our costs.

I know there has been a lot of work done by the minister and her department. There has been a commitment of $27.9 million to expand the program. It's all good news, and there's lots of consultation that's been going on in the north. Is there discussion going on with other departments to talk about roads, proper runway lengths, and things of that nature?

Also, could the minister speak a bit about what she's hearing? I've heard from many people that we need to include traditional foods and the ability to hunt, and to cover some of the costs. It's becoming more difficult, because of the price of fuel to go out on the land for the things that we need.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Thanks, Michael, and certainly you were there at the very first engagement we did on nutrition north in Inuvik. All those issues were serious, in terms of the planes not being able to come up full, the lack of roads; this was huge. But I think in most places, with a few notable exceptions, the access to country foods has been really resounding. We've heard how hunters and harvesters feel when they can't actually feed their families and their communities in their traditional ways, and there's the high cost of fuel, ammunition, getting their snow machines fixed, and their boat motors. I think that we are very much interested in the engagement and what we've heard of really a total review of the program such that these are the kinds of things that we need.

But we also are hearing people say, why aren't we using dirigibles, the kinds of things that are taking big supplies into mining camps? Why aren't we trying other ways of doing this? Also, the high cost of air fare is a huge issue and, yes, I think we see all these issues facing the north and remote communities in terms of a whole-of-government approach and that all ministries should be engaged in what would be a strategy in terms of quality of life and the things you are addressing.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Thank you.

I think the minister is aware that we have six large aboriginal governments in the Northwest Territories, and all are striving to become self-governing. I really appreciate that we have 10 sets of negotiations and discussions going on, and for the first time in many years, all moving forward. I'm quite happy with that.

We are also concerned that we need to ensure that our voices from the north are heard, and there's really no national organization that represents some of our aboriginal people in the Northwest Territories and that has to change. I think in the spirit of our new nation-to-nation relationship, we have to figure out who represents who, and it's probably going to be a really challenging task, but as we move forward with the UN declaration, with the Daniels case, we need to make sure that everybody is heard.

In the Northwest Territories, we have a number of records that we're probably not very proud of. The Northwest Territories has the highest homicide rate in all of Canada on a per capita basis. We're second only to Nunavut on the suicide crisis numbers, and all these things have to be addressed. We need to make sure our people are heard. A lot of them don't feel that they are represented. They don't belong to some of the national organizations, so we have to do some work on that front.

I'm really happy to see that there's some investment in unemployment and family violence prevention programs. I'm really keen on seeing investment in our friendship centres, family centres, and some of the aboriginal programs that exist, such as the sports circle and head start. I think those will go a long way, but we also need to ensure that our communities are able to have safe facilities.

A lot of our communities still don't have RCMP and we don't have these types of facilities, so I want to ask if these programs will be available to us in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut and other areas that are off reserve.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I think that you and the northern caucus have done an amazing job, even with the Minister of Infrastructure, and budget 2016 really reflects the fact that you did have a voice and that what was always referred to in the past as on and off reserve was really changed in this budget because of the voices of the north.

There's no question that when we have land claim agreements and self-governing nations that aren't represented by the AFN, we have to find a different way, because we're trying to incent more and more nations to get out from under the Indian Act. We need to make sure that they feel they really have a voice and a place in a nation-to-nation approach.

I really look forward to making that case as we go forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Andy Fillmore]

Thank you.

We're going to move into five-minute questions now. The first one is from Arnold Viersen, please.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here today with your officials. I really appreciate it.

On several occasions now, we've raised the issue of financial transparency in the House. It was interesting listening to you speak just today about how we give funding to first nations and the provinces are clawing it back, so you seem to be in favour of transparency on the provincial level. When we give finances to the provinces, you want to ensure that those finances are actually being used for what you intended them to be used for.

However, in a number of cases, we don't seem to have the same scrutiny for first nation finances. I have a number of cases in front of me. I was hoping that I could get you on the record as saying that you are aware or not aware of them.

The first one is the Shuswap First Nation, where the chief's family embezzled $4.2 million over three and a half years. They went to Cuba and Las Vegas. Are you aware of that one?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

That is in my QP book.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

There is the Kashechewan First Nation, where a man tasked with running a children's breakfast program diverted $694,000.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Yes, we know.

Again, if indeed these are criminal acts, they need criminal consequences. This isn't accountability. This is an allegation of criminal activity. Not only do we take this seriously, but my understanding is that the citizens in those communities really do too.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

There's the Semiahmoo band, where they asked for the information for 18 years. That's another case. Are you familiar with that one? They asked for it for 18 years. The information came out due to the reporting requirements, and now it's no longer available. That information is not around.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Still, bands have a responsibility to report to their citizens and to our office.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

It was because of the transparency act that this information came out. Now they're no longer reporting. Are you aware of that?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

There are some first nations who aren't reporting now because of the transparency act. Some communities that were reporting all the time then decided not to report because they were furious that this had been imposed upon them from the top down.

If people have allegations, they need to actually—

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

How about the Samson Cree first nation, where 300 band members have asked the government to do a forensic audit? Are you aware of that one?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I am aware of all of those allegations—

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Thank you.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

—but I'm telling you that the large majority of first nations have their statements up on their websites, or in password-protected websites, or in a telephone book at their band office.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

I'm not concerned about the large majority, Ma'am. It's the cases that are the issue, right?

Alexander First Nation, a nation near where I live, has $2.1 million of unexplained payments. Are you aware of that?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I am aware of that. It is also in my QP book. I just have no understanding.... This isn't really, I don't think, about the estimates.

I also note that I think this kind of questioning.... When there are remedies for this, you call the police.