Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Nov. 19th, 2020

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

Thank you so much, Jaime. We thank you for your career of work, having all Canadians understand the importance of treaties and these kinds of agreements—modern treaties and constructive arrangements with first nations.

We know that there are better health outcomes and education outcomes when first nations, Inuit and Métis are in charge of those decisions. You lived in Nova Scotia with the Mi'kmaq. It went from 30% finishing high school to 95% when the Mi'kmaq were in charge of their education system. The results speak for themselves. It's very important.

In the past, those agreements were very fixed. The minister would have a mandate. They'd go to the community. They'd say, “It's take it or leave it. See you in court.” Instead, we've moved to a very flexible system whereby communities are able to choose what area they'd like to assert jurisdiction in, and then we get an agreement on that. I think the Anishinabek agreement here in Ontario is a very good example. Now they are moving on to their full governance agreement, having had their education act passed.

It is, I think, at all of these tables. Child and family services, of course, is one for which we know that it's going to be so important for nations to be able to look after their children and youth and bring their children home.

I think this new flexible approach.... There's also no cede and surrender, no extinguishment of rights, and it's no longer based on loans. We would have negotiations that would last 20 years, and the nation would be $30 million in debt. That's over, as we move forward to a much better way of doing this.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

That's great to hear, Minister. I agree with you 100% when you talk about how flexibility is an important thing.

I want you to reiterate one thing that you said. As a Canadian government, we are not, as part of these negotiations, asking indigenous communities to extinguish their rights. I know there has been a lot of misrepresentation of what our government is doing out there, with people calling these tables “termination tables of treaties” and things like that.

Can you comment on that a bit?

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

Absolutely. I think the proof was when we were able to sign the agreement with British Columbia a year ago August. There it was very clear that this would be the new way going forward. It really was about a modern treaty of respect and partnership. I think we're also seeing it now in the collaborative fiscal arrangement we're doing with the already self-governing nations. They work with Canada to figure out what funding they need in order to be able to run their governments.

These two things alone, I think, have made a huge difference in people's understanding that getting out from under the Indian Act is really the objective, as well as rebuilding nations, so that Indian Act bands can come together, like the Anishinabek nation or the Ktunaxa. This is a way they can come together in geography, language, a numbered treaty or however they want to form a governance based on the consensus of their people and their traditional laws and legal customs. It's an exciting time, Jaime, and I thank you for all your work on it.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Minister, I wanted to follow a little bit on the Indian Act.

We all know this is a colonial document. It's 100 years old. How can the new recognition of indigenous rights and self-determination tables provide an effective way for communities to move beyond the outdated and colonial structures of that Indian Act?

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

Even to answer Cathy McLeod's question about the Wet'suwet'en, that really is a matter of the Indian Act bands and the hereditary leadership coming together in their communities to work on a governance of their choosing that then becomes the nation-to-nation partner with Canada.

That's, I think, what's so exciting, as we see communities determining their future and describing their relationship with Canada in this celebration of getting out from under the Indian Act. I remember signing in Slamen and others, and the pregnant moms beaming that their babies would not be born under the Indian Act.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much. We're right at time.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sorry about that.

Ms. Bérubé, you may go ahead. You have six minutes.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It's a pleasure to have you here, Ms. Bennett and Mr. Vandal.

My question is for Minister Bennett.

When Bill C-5 is passed, September 30 will become a statutory holiday, but I realize the funding for that isn't necessarily in supplementary estimates (B).

I'm curious as to how the government plans to mark the holiday, without simply making it a day off for federal employees.

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

I don't believe Bill C-5 is addressed in the supplementary estimates.

I am going to ask one of my officials to answer that.

[Daniel Quan-Watson, Deputy Minister, Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs]

If I may, Mr. Chair, that bill was presented to the House by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the—

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Chair, the interpretation is not coming through.

[Daniel Quan-Watson]

My apologies.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for the bill. It is not covered in these supplementary estimates because it does not fall under Minister Bennett's authority.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you.

Ms. Bennett, you are responsible for addressing the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Last year, the government stated that a national action plan on missing and murdered indigenous women and girls would be released by June 2020.

In May 2020, the government indefinitely postponed the release of the plan.

What progress have you made on the national action plan since June 2020?

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

Thank you for asking that very important question.

Our hearts go out to the survivors and families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, two-spirit people and first nations members.

Our government is working with the provinces and territories to respond to the very first national inquiry into this tragedy. Each province and territory has to develop its own plan, in co-operation with the families and survivors, to ultimately create a national action plan.

Under the leadership of Gina Wilson and the Yukon deputy minister, 100 indigenous women are working daily to develop an effective action plan that will yield the desired results.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

As far as missing and murdered indigenous women and girls are concerned, the government must take action to ensure the full implementation of economic, social and political rights of indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse persons.

Is that work under way? Will there be a follow-up?

Things are dormant right now.

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

Our website lists all the measures taken by federal departments, including Public Safety Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and Women and Gender Equality Canada. A comprehensive and effective plan will be released soon. It's important that we update the website to provide transparency and accountability to all the families and survivors in Canada.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

I see.

Has there been any progress in relation to the Recognition of Indigenous Rights and Self-Determination Tables?

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

Yes. The recognition of rights discussion tables are a new approach. They provide flexibility and enable communities to identify their own priorities. A set of priorities is developed and provides the basis for negotiations. Then, the agreement is ratified by the communities before being signed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Your time is up.

Thank you.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Ms. Blaney, you have six minutes.

Go ahead, please.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, Chair, and thank you to both ministers for being here.

I would like to start with you, Minister Vandal.

As you well know, Nunavut is now in its official lockdown. We have heard some of the horrifying stories and recognize how hard they worked for so long to keep their communities safe. Now they're having to deal with this reality.

What we're hearing from the communities is that people are concerned not only about COVID but also about their mental health. I'm wondering if you could talk to us about what your government is doing to keep everyone physically and mentally safe.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Absolutely. I want to thank you for that very important question.

I can tell you that our government is seized with what is going on in Nunavut right now. We had a call this morning, as we do most mornings, with me, Minister Bennett, Minister Miller and public health officials, to get the latest information on what is occurring in Nunavut. They did such a wonderful job for the first several months to keep the virus out, and now it's an unfortunate situation. It appears that perhaps the virus came up from the city I'm in, Winnipeg, which is one of the isolation hubs. Manitoba, in and of itself, is going through a huge crisis.

At the public health level, I know our federal public health officers are in constant conversation with Nunavut public health officers, and they're talking about supports for contact tracing, testing and rapid response teams. We are also talking with the Government of Nunavut about resources for increasing isolation units and water delivery, as well as perhaps some more resources for making sure that fuel gets to where it needs to be.

Food insecurity is always a huge issue in Nunavut, as we all know. Our government officials, through the Department of Northern Affairs and through Indigenous Services Canada, are talking with Inuit rights holders and Inuit government about how we can provide them with more support to address the food insecurity issues.

On so many different levels, the public health level.... I've spoken to Premier Savikataaq over the last week, and I know the Prime Minister had a very good conversation with him yesterday, I believe. We're engaged at all the levels that we need to be to provide the support that Nunavut needs, and we are going to be there for Nunavut throughout this crisis.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you.

My next question is around the universal broadband fund that was announced a couple of weeks ago. There's a commitment for $600 million or a billion dollars or whatever—sorry—that would be set aside for the satellite capabilities for the most northern rural and remote communities where it's simply, as you well know, not feasible to connect to fibre.

I'm wondering how your department is working with them to make sure that this gets done. We know they need access to employment, education and health services right now during the pandemic, and of course they did even before that. That urgency is there, and I'm wondering how you're working to make sure it happens.