Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 23rd, 2017

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

But you also need to know that—

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Sorry—

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

—the AFN is working very closely with us on mutual accountability, because people also need to know what we are doing, and so we—

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

I'm sorry. You'll have an opportunity to answer when Cathy poses her question.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Thank you.

I want to get into the nuts and bolts of the estimates because, of course, that's what we're here for.

As we know, for communities, small amounts of money can be very important. The first thing I'm going to ask you about is the $600,000 transfer from INAC to Public Safety “to support activities related to” an international reduction strategy. That looks like a conference in Montreal from May 7 to May 9.

That $600,000 is a lot of money. It could build perhaps three homes. It could fund the Wapekeka program for suicide prevention.

It sounds like it's for a bit of a gabfest in Montreal. I would like you to justify to the people of Wapekeka and the people of Attawapiskat why this particular conference is a better use of dollars than perhaps funding their suicide prevention program.

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

Firstly, those conferences are attended by the people from communities who need to learn and to be able to bring their standards up, so this is a way that they choose. We are supporting the people who apply to go to those conferences so they can keep their communities well. Paul can give you the details.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

This is an international strategy, a UN one.

[Paul Thoppil, Chief Financial Officer, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

As we've just noted and discussed, in supplementary estimates (C) we are requesting $56 million for extra costs related to the impacts of climate change on communities.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

This is about—

[Paul Thoppil]

This conference—

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

—disaster reduction and the UN.

[Paul Thoppil]

Disaster reduction is related to best practices around the world for events such as disasters that are related to things like climate change. There are lessons learned from an international context that we hope indigenous peoples in this country will benefit from. We therefore believe that it's of benefit for their communities in how they deal with climate change, which, unfortunately, will have disaster elements associated with the communities. The $660,000 is a benefit for their further mitigation issues, their ideas, and best practices that can be shared across the world.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Okay. Thank you. I hope for the people of Wapekeka and Attawapiskat that makes sense to them, because of course every time you spend a dollar, there are opportunity costs in regard to other urgent and essential needs.

Next, there is a $605,400 transfer from Health Canada for regional workshops—different from the UN conference. Can you give me the details? Again, I think we need to put that $600,000 for some regional workshops in the context of what might instead be funding for 20 orthodontic cases that are currently getting turned down for approval. Are these more than gabfests? Will they lead to action? Are they more important than some of the urgent needs in communities right now?

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

There's about a minute and a half for a response.

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

I think it's the same concept wherein, again, money is provided by Health Canada through its first nations and Inuit health branch for benefits and non-insured benefits. There is also money booked to raise best practices and to be able to find out what's happening on the ground, particularly with things like Jordan's principle. We've needed to put people out there. That's why we have 3,200 more kids getting the kind of care they need, since July 1, because of a better understanding of how that will be.

That's an example of the kind of information that needs to get out to communities via workshops and such things, so that more kids can be looked after.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

I guess perhaps—

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

You have 30 seconds.

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

I'll close with a comment, then.

Sometimes, when you come from health care backgrounds, doing the practical things on the ground are really important. I think when we're looking at any of these workshops or UN panels, they are relevant, absolutely, but we also need to look at them in conjunction with making a real difference to the people who are suffering in communities.

Thank you.

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

Cathy, with due respect, continuing education is part of our staying certified as doctors and nurses.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

We're moving on—

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

Having people not up to date is really unacceptable for the people who live in those communities.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

I encourage the respondents, our guests, to respond to the questions when asked.

MP Romeo Saganash.

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

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to the minister for her presence today.

I want to start with the water advisories in the communities, because I think it was a huge undertaking on the part of your government to eliminate those within five years. It's still a major problem. It's a major undertaking, because it involves a lot of infrastructure for the communities. It involves a lot of resources for the support of water systems in communities—for maintenance, sampling of the water quality, inspections, and so on and so forth.

We're a year and a half into your mandate. There are three and a half years left to complete that commitment. Is there a plan?

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

There is a plan. We're very proud of the plan. Thank you for the question.

As you know, we started with a huge deficit and lots of communities in terrible shape. We have worked with all of the communities with long-term water advisories, but also the communities with high-risk systems that need to be moved to medium- and low-risk systems. We are pleased that we've lifted the boil water advisories in 18.

I think as you know, of the 71 that are left, maybe 10 are at Slate Falls and seven in another community. In actually getting water systems into those communities that have a number of pumphouses and a number of boil water advisories, we will, I think, make significant progress.

As you know, it's a three-phased deal. We have to do the predesign, the design, and the implementation. As you pointed out, that takes time, but we do believe we'll be able to do this in the five years, along with our budgeting for the maintenance and the training. As we heard on the news last night, chiefs are worried that they train up an operator and then he gets poached to the local town. We have to be able to make sure that we are building systems that can be self-sustaining within communities and that we also have those proud people as the water managers in their communities wanting to stay and look after their communities.

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

We did perhaps eliminate 18, but unfortunately some 12 others have been added to the list.

I would like to see the plan because I think it's an important piece.