Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Feb. 27th, 2020

Evidence of meeting #3 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 43rd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was subsidy.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Food Security in Northern Communities

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Serge Beaudoin Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Affairs, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Tom Wong Chief Medical Officer and Director General, Office of Population and Public Health, Department of Indigenous Services

Wayne Walsh Director General, Northern Strategic Policy Branch, Northern Affairs, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

12:30 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Affairs, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Serge Beaudoin

It is always a preoccupation for us to make sure that we're hearing from partners and that we are sensitive to their preoccupations. We look for representation of Inuit within our ranks, of course. That is important. For instance, in the Nunavut regional office we're looking to go to 85% Inuit, which is challenging. We're at about 40% or 50% at the moment. Also we want to make sure that those within our ranks have the voices to be able to share with us. Beyond that, we have cultural awareness sessions, etc., but it's a mixed bag of measures that we have to make sure that we're attentive to the needs of the partners, and the Inuit partners in particular, and that we have frequent dialogue with Inuit partners and are hearing the voices of those who are within our ranks more directly.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Returning to my earlier question around not spending the money that's been allocated by Parliament, I'm hoping you have some suggestions of how we get there. Given that there's a crisis in the north when it comes to food security, this is something for which Parliament has set money aside and it's not being spent. It's deeply concerning. Maybe you can identify some of the types of support and resources we as MPs at this committee can help you with, so that your department fully understands the stakes here, so that we can help you succeed, especially the member from Nunavut. She obviously has some local insight on the issue.

12:35 p.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Northern Affairs, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs

Serge Beaudoin

I want to give this question the full attention it deserves. Perhaps I can take this back, reflect upon it, see where assistance could be provided, and respond with what it is we're doing to adjust the subsidy to maximize its use and its impact on the ground. Perhaps we can get back to the committee on the methodology more specifically.

February 27th, 2020 / 12:35 p.m.

Liberal