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

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

I have another question on another budget line time regarding the emergency management service providers. Over half of what you're presenting here to be spent will be for this budget line—“funding to reimburse First Nations and emergency management service providers”. I'm wondering if that also applies in the north.

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

We only talked about the big ones like Fort Mac and whatever, so—

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

This is over 50% of your budget that you're presenting here.

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

—we can look it up. It's about replenishing money that was spent on an emergency.

If you want to let me know about any emergency in the Northwest Territories, we can get you the funds for that specifically.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Are you saying we could qualify for the same kind of monies? We have tons of emergencies.

[Hélène Laurendeau, Deputy Minister, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development]

That emergency management money is based on events, and they—

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

On reserve or off reserve?

[Hélène Laurendeau]

On reserve primarily, but if there are events that we need to contribute to, we do and we fund. It's a big ticket item because we often have to do it after the fact. We have some base funding, but when the events occur we fund them, and we replenish based on the event.

If there are events in the north—

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

So this is already spent?

[Hélène Laurendeau]

Yes, by and large it is already spent.

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

And it's just replenishing.

Mike, I think one of the other things to say is that as we move to self-government in the Northwest Territories, a lot of your concerns will be dealt with as we are dealing with the new indigenous governments, this on and off reserve, and all of the things around housing

With regard to housing, as you know, in the last budget, you as northerners did a great job with the infrastructure minister and the finance minister, explaining that housing in the north is different and that these technical things of on and off reserve don't apply in the north. The money we were able to give to the Inuvialuit or the other Inuit organizations has been ring-fenced for that because of the terrific input provided by northern MPs.

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

Thank you.

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Is that it?

[The Chair, Liberal, MaryAnn Mihychuk]

That's it.

We're moving on to the second round, which is five minutes, and that's going to MP Yurdiga.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Minister, thank you for appearing before committee today. As always, we appreciate your coming to our committee.

The parliamentary budget office just released a report less than an hour ago. That report says your ministry has frozen $100 million in funding.

Minister, I have sat on this committee and heard the desperation from indigenous people at every committee meeting. I have heard your government make countless promises. Why is this money not being spent when there is clearly a desperate need for it?

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

I haven't read the report. I know that pretty well the only money that lapses in our department is money that's set aside to settle claims or in lawsuits, and it gets rolled into the following year. We aren't allowed to spend on anything else, but we do roll it forward so that claim money is sitting there for when the claim is settled.

I don't know that report, but I know there were previous reports that I was very happy to clarify, because this isn't money that could be spent on something else.

Do you have an update?

[Paul Thoppil]

Are we referring to frozen allotments?

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Yes.

[Paul Thoppil]

As the minister quite rightly stated, monies are earmarked for defined purposes. When you have a frozen allotment, that's the basis for ensuring that money is re-profiled into future purposes for when those obligations need to be paid.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Well—

[Paul Thoppil]

That's for a number of purposes, such as contaminated sites and out-of court residential schools settlement payments. Those are a couple of examples.

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

For example, the residential school money has to sit there until these last claims are settled. You can't spend it on infrastructure or spend it on anything else. It has to be sitting there so the money is there when the claim is settled.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

It really doesn't make sense to me. The money was budgeted for specific allocations and now is being frozen.

I want to know why it was frozen. You made an explanation—this program, and that program. These are excuses, but I want to know why.

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

It's because it is for a specific purpose.

You try to anticipate how many claims will be settled in a given year. Then, if they are not settled, that frozen money gets moved into the next year for when the claim is settled. It has to be sitting there for the claimant because that was what the money was allocated for. It can't be used for anything else.

[Paul Thoppil]

If I may, it's the technical means for managing the fiscal framework, moving money from one year to another, in terms of frozen allotments.