Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 25th, 2022

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I don't disagree with MP McLeod. As you know, we've deployed a tremendous amount of money to get there. There are some breakthroughs coming in the north. I hope to see them in the next year or two, fiscally.

I don't like making promises I can't keep. You do know that, because I brief you often, and we're making the effort.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Mr. McLeod.

Mrs. Gill, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to ask another question regarding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Bill C-15 was passed last year, and I'm glad for first nations and all indigenous peoples.

In supplementary estimates (C), an additional $11 million is allocated to support the implementation of the Declaration. These are not operating expenditures. I'd like to know what this $11 million in additional funding is exactly and how it moves us closer to actually implementing Bill C-15 at this time.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

The royal assent of this bill was a crucial moment for indigenous peoples and its implementation is even more important. It is an immensely complex challenge, because we are talking about the engagement of indigenous communities. I support Minister Lametti in his work, which will take place over the next two fiscal years. Unless I'm mistaken, this money is to support the engagement of indigenous communities.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

I'm wondering what the $11 million will actually be used for.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

I don't have those details, but I could forward them to you.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

I'd like you to do that if you have them, because it would help us see how this is progressing. Thank you.

I guess my two minutes are up, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

You have one minute left.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

I have one minute left? I was very quick. I'm surprised, because that's not usually the case, but Minister Miller is efficient.

I want to ask some more questions about the unmarked graves, the demolition and the $320 million that was awarded. Of course, first nations communities have their own process to determine exactly what they want to do. It may take longer because of that process, but I would have liked to know where we are now and what exactly is being done with this $320 million.

Has it been granted? Has a portion of this amount been allocated? Is any of it missing?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Of course there will be some missing. It is a lot of money, of course, but this work is important, especially for those who are still affected by trauma. So it's worth it. Several departments are involved, including Canadian Heritage and Indigenous Services Canada, which I mentioned. A lot of support services are offered to survivors, which is important. These include mental health services that cost a lot of money.

As for the destruction and repair of buildings, many initiatives depend on the will of each community. It is not up to Ottawa to dictate the pace, tone or extent of the research. This is done at varying speeds, depending on the community affected. The situation is further complicated by the fact that some sites that were never on reserve or that are no longer in use are held by third parties.

I'll be doing an overview in May or June to give people an idea of what's going to happen. To date, many communities are involved in finding answers for their missing children.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Mrs. Gill.

Ms. Idlout, you have two and a half minutes.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Can we start with the response to my last question?

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

Sure. Thank you for that very important question. There's nothing more important than nutritious food for Canadians—young people, elders and seniors.

First of all, I'm very pleased that there is $121.7 million for nutrition north in the main estimates that are before you today. Through budget 2021, we also expanded the nutrition north program with an additional $163.5 million for funding, which was done in collaboration with indigenous partners to address food insecurity in the north.

The issue of food insecurity is a long-standing issue. It's not going to be solved by one program. It has to involve a whole-of-government approach. It has to involve territorial governments, indigenous governments, the business sector and the non-profit sector to look for creative solutions and innovation.

We're very proud of the harvesters support grant that we co-developed with indigenous nations about a year and a half ago. Over the last year alone over 5,500 harvesters, over 150 hunts and over 120 food-sharing initiatives were supported by the harvesters support grant.

To more directly answer your question on food being out of date, that's not acceptable. I can follow up with you after this meeting and with the public service to get more detail so that we can get you a more precise answer.

I do know that we have a nutrition north advisory committee. We are constantly consulting on how we make the program better. I'll be the first to admit that it's very good, but there's always room for improvement.

We will talk.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you so much.

My question is to Mr. Miller.

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs states that 80% of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action have now been implemented or are well under way, yet in December 2021, researchers from the Yellowhead Institute concluded that only 11 of the calls to action have been implemented.

Can the minister explain how 80% of the work is done when indigenous communities continue to experience little change?

Secondly, can the minister explain why there's this disconnect?

Qujannamiik.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

When you talk about 80% being under way, it depends on the actual call. The ones that are completed are sometimes ones that are perhaps a little more finite in time.

I wouldn't say any of them are particularly easy to do, but when we're talking about “completion” and “under way”, there's a difference obviously. I don't contest the Yellowhead Institute's numbers. Their approach was quite clear.

I don't think any one of us in the federal government should be walking around sticking our chest out saying how proud we are to have accomplished this. This is our duty and we have to get it done.

I am hopeful that a number of them will be completed in the next quarter. That's very important, first and foremost, to those who called on us to complete these calls to action.

It's been slow for a number of reasons. I don't think any excuse would be satisfactory to committee members, but there are amounts dedicated to fulfilling these calls to action. Calls 72 to 76 will go at the pace of the communities. Those are not complete, but they have to be done out of respect for those community members.

I'd use this opportunity as well to highlight that in the documents presented today, there is over $25 million for the Qikiqtani truth and reconciliation report implementation. These are sums that were requested. I think that's very hopeful, particularly for the people that you represent.

Again, I think we have to look at these calls in a comprehensive way and give Canadians a sense of what we're actually doing, what needs to be completed and frankly, where we're failing. That's what I hope to bring, in part, as minister, to this difficult task. It's something we would expect from any minister of the Crown.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Thank you so much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you, Ms. Idlout.

That brings this panel to an end. I'd like to thank ministers Miller and Vandal for coming to answer our questions today.

Committee members, we have one last task before we go. Hopefully, it will go quickly. We have to look at the votes in the main estimates. We have two choices. We can look at each vote one at a time, or we can look at all of them together.

Do I have unanimous consent to vote on the main estimates in one motion, or do you want to break it out into individual votes?

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Let's vote in one motion.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

I'm fine with one motion, Mr. Chair, on division.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Very good.

Madame Gill, is that a yes?

Go ahead, Ms. Idlout.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut]

[English]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you. I don't have my earpiece in. I'm sorry.

Let me officially put it forward.

CANADIAN HIGH ARCTIC RESEARCH STATION

Vote 1—Program expenditures..........$29,886,748

(Vote 1 agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF CROWN-INDIGENOUS RELATIONS AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$972,219,379

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$328,287

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$4,803,938,947

Vote L15—Loans to indigenous claimants..........$25,903,000

(Votes 1, 5, 10 and L15 agreed to on division)

DEPARTMENT OF INDIGENOUS SERVICES

Vote 1—Operating expenditures..........$24,714,136,043

Vote 5—Capital expenditures..........$5,983,854

Vote 10—Grants and contributions..........$14,745,696,586

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

Shall I report the main estimates for 2022-23, less the amounts voted in the interim supply, to the House?

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

On division.

[The Chair, Liberal, Marc Garneau]

Thank you very much.

Just before you leave, I remind you that, next week, we will be continuing on Tuesday with the housing study.

On Friday, we will be looking at the report from the first study, and the clerk has informed me that she sent out the report to you today, so we have a week to study it.

We're looking for prioritized lists for the non-insured health benefit study by April 1.

We will also, the following week, have meetings on Tuesday the 5th and Friday the 8th, which will continue our housing study—all of this before the Easter break.

Thank you very much. We'll see you next week.

This meeting is adjourned.