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

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

We know the COVID-19 pandemic has been very tough on everyone and will certainly intensify the demand for mental health supports. My department is working closely with Mr. Miller's, Indigenous Services Canada, as well as with the leaders of indigenous nations. We want to provide culturally appropriate services based on indigenous traditions so that everyone can benefit moving forward.

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

You do an assessment as far as mental health needs and resources go. I imagine that's part of your estimates.

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

Yes. The mental health reality is extremely important in northern communities, as it is throughout Canada.

It is actually an initiative of Indigenous Services Canada, Mr. Miller's department. We are cognizant of how very important the issue is and we work together closely, but it does fall under Mr. Miller's authority.

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

The supplementary estimates also address funding for child and family services and the continued implementation of Jordan's principle. Have you taken any steps to ensure child and family services are not disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

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

Look—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have just 10 seconds. I'm sorry.

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

The initiative is so significant that it's hard to explain in 10 seconds. I can tell you, though, that it also falls under Minister Miller's authority.

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

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thank you very much.

We'll leave it at that and go to Ms. Blaney for two and half minutes.

Go ahead, please.

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

Thank you so much, Chair.

Minister Bennett, I recently had a meeting with some representatives from Kanesatake, and I understand that they met with your government not too long ago. The concern they have is that the development of their lands is continuing. They have asked, at the very minimum, to just pause the development so they can have those meaningful conversations in the community on how to move forward in the best possible way. As you know, that is not happening.

These are my questions to you: Why haven't you helped support them in making sure that this pause happens? Are you and your department going to do anything to support these very important discussions?

When we talk about moving forward and looking at self-determination, these are the key parts. One of the things that deeply concerns me is that so often these projects happen and continue to happen even when communities come forward and say that they need the time to have that meaningful conversation internally before a project moves forward.

I'm wondering if you could update this committee on those commitments.

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

This is a really important question as we move forward to self-determination and determining governance within communities where there has been elected leadership as well as hereditary leadership. How do communities come together to take decisions as a community?

In most of those land decisions, the decisions on land are provincial decisions. It's difficult, but we want to support those conversations within communities so that they can take decisions together. That's what we're trying to do with provinces and territories, and with communities.

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

Right now, what we're seeing, though, is this conversation being completely undermined, fundamentally because the project is continuing. Can you commit that you will work with the provincial government to actually honour first people's rights to self-determination in that place?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have 15 seconds.

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

These are ongoing conversations that we had with the previous minister and that we will begin with the new minister of indigenous affairs. It is complicated in that we, as the federal government, don't have responsibility around the land, but we do have responsibility to do whatever we can to promote those kinds of important conversations within communities to determine their own governance and how they take decisions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much, Minister. I know that you have to leave us immediately for another meeting.

Minister Vandal, thank you as well.

To the staffers and senior people, thank you for joining us.

Committee, I apologize for having to brusquely truncate the question period, but we are at the point now where we have to deal with the estimates.

I would like to ask if I have unanimous consent to call the votes as a group and adopt them on division.

Are there any thumbs down?

I believe we have unanimous consent to adopt the estimates on division.

I can't quite see everybody, because I can't see the room, but I'm told that we're okay.

Thank you very much.

DEPARTMENT OF CROWN-INDIGENOUS RELATIONS AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS

Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$114,527,175

Vote 5b—Capital expenditures..........$1,584,486

Vote 10b—Grants and contributions..........$810,294,236

(Votes 1b, 5b and 10b agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF INDIGENOUS SERVICES

Vote 1b—Operating expenditures..........$250,366,759

Vote 10b—Grants and contributions..........$751,056,175

(Votes 1b and 10b agreed to on division)

We have passed unanimously the supplementary estimates on division.

Having adopted the supplementary estimates, I must now ask the committee, shall I report the supplementary estimates (B) 2020-21 to the House?

I believe I have unanimous consent once again, so that is agreed.

Once again, thank you to all. These are tough meetings, but I appreciate the spirit in which they're conducted.

Thanks once again to our ministers and staff.

This meeting is now adjourned.