Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Oct. 28th, 2024

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

What about the poverty rate and the housing in Nunavut?

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

Dental care, which will help thousands of children all over Canada and thousands in the north, your party voted against. The school food program—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

How about drinking water?

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

—your party voted against it.

We lifted a hundred—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

How about carbon tax?

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

Can I answer?

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I've asked you—

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

Can I answer the water question?

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Mr. Zimmer, the time is up.

I'll give the minister a couple of seconds to finish the answer.

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

One hundred and forty-five boil water advisories were lifted since we were in government. It's not perfect, but it's very good. That's 145 more boil water advisories than 10 years of Stephen Harper and Pierre Poilievre.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Zimmer.

Moving to the second questioner in the second round, Ms. Gainey, you have five minutes.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to welcome all our witnesses and thank them for coming. It's a pleasure to have them with us today.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Services.

Minister Hajdu, you raised the importance of education in your opening remarks, including the investment in a new K-to-12 school on Piikani Nation, which sounds like an incredibly positive step for that community.

UNDRIP also underscores the importance of education in article 14, paragraph 2, highlighting the right of indigenous individuals to access education “without discrimination”.

In Quebec, the implementation of Law 14, more commonly known as Bill 96, is creating new and unfair obstacles that discriminate against indigenous CEGEP students and that undercut their chances of graduation. Students are frustrated and rightfully feel that they ought to be supported in their pursuit of higher education, but instead, many have expressed feeling set up to fail.

Can you speak to the importance of removing barriers to education for indigenous students, particularly in my home province of Quebec? Thank you.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Thank you very much.

I would count Regional Chief Picard as one of my most trusted advisers, actually. He and I have spoken a lot about any kind of barrier that presents a challenge for graduation being, in particular, even more detrimental for indigenous students or for other students with vulnerabilities.

What I can say is that the focus of our federal Liberal government has been to really ensure that education is at the core of what we do. In fact, when we were first elected, I have to tell you that one of our first actions was to reverse the discriminatory funding for education systems on first nations. The Conservatives had kept first nation education systems barely able to keep the lights on. In fact, many first nation boards of education really struggled to deliver curriculum, with, in many cases, a significant disparity between what was offered for provincial students in the same setting. That's why not only equity in funding but also reshaping how we support communities to deliver their own education, culturally appropriate education, is leading to increases.

My colleague here spoke about Judy Desmoulin, Long Lake #58, and the incredible success rate they're seeing. I have to say that's in my riding, and I'm really proud of communities that are able to turn things around, from seeing very few students graduate to seeing almost the whole grade 12 class graduate.

In Quebec, for example, in 2022, one of the most wonderful moments of my year that year was signing an agreement with 22 first nations to manage and deliver education for over 6,000 students in their own communities with their own developed curriculum.

I will say this. We work really hard to support first nations to make sure that they have all the appropriate supports in place so that those students are set up for success. We're seeing the results. The graduation rates over the last five years for indigenous students have increased by 10%. That sounds like a small number, but it's huge and significant to those students who are going to go on to be the leaders of those communities.

I can tell you that in Biigtigong, which is also in my riding—a community I know very well—when students graduate as teachers, as doctors, as construction workers, as water operators, they go back to the community and they build a strong community. Those communities have such a wonderful chance to thrive. That's the work we're doing together with first nation communities.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Thank you for that.

I think there is definitely a commitment and a desire to do that work. I hope perhaps that we can continue that work with Mr. Picard and that we can address the needs in my riding, in those communities in particular where those kids at CEGEP are really struggling right now with their climate. It's just very heartbreaking to see that.

I have one minute left, so I'm going to share it with my colleague Mr. Hanley.

Thank you.

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Thank you for that.

I will perhaps start with Minister Anandasangaree. I know you haven't had a chance to speak very much so far, so I'll perhaps begin with you and will hopefully continue in a subsequent round.

You will have just received—and may not have had a chance to read it yet—a letter from Judy Gingell, chair of the Yukon Residential Schools and Missing Children Project, about support for funding. In a nutshell, the request is for some certainty and predictability in funding for the YRSMCP working group to know they have a clear pathway towards ground searches at residential schools and institutions. I wonder if you could comment briefly on that, and perhaps reassure the chair that the funding will be there.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you for that question.

I look forward to a wholesome answer later on, but suffice it to say that we've been committed, from the outset of Kamloops, to be there with communities every step of the way. That commitment hasn't wavered at all.

I look forward to giving a more fulsome answer next round.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Ms. Gainey and Mr. Hanley.

Mr. Lemire, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to talk about francophone groups within indigenous communities. It's somewhat related to my colleague's question.

What measures are your departments implementing to ensure that there is no language-based discrimination and that indigenous organizations receiving the funding they are entitled to can in turn offer francophone communities the documents they need to participate in consultations on issues of interest to them?

Can you tell us whether indigenous communities are eligible for Canadian Heritage programs that exist for these purposes, and provide us with a written list of those that have applied? If so, can you tell us about the decision, i.e., was the application successful or not, and how much have these communities received over the past five years?

I have the impression that there's a big gap here and that it's preventing francophones and indigenous groups from really getting along.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I'm sorry, but I can't speak to other departments’ programs, as I'm not familiar with them.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Still, I’d invite you to look into the issue, because I think there's a gap there.

I'd also like to talk to you about a very important request from the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador that has to do with the fundamental issue of police services in their communities. I'm talking about legislation recognizing that first nations policing is an essential service and must be funded accordingly.

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador has made this issue a priority, and it has very high expectations, yet it is still waiting on the legislation. Where does this legislation stand? When will it finally be tabled?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

My colleague Minister LeBlanc is working with the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and with the provinces on this very important matter.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

We look forward to seeing some results.

I'd now like to turn to the Jay Treaty. This issue may be Minister Anandasangaree’s responsibility, but it also ties in with an announcement made by another one of your colleagues.

Last week, Minister Miller made an announcement about the movement of people at various ports of entry. Indigenous communities want to be assured that you have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the measures announced will not hinder their travel to the United States, which in their case can be on an almost daily basis.

When will the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act be amended to facilitate the movement of indigenous peoples from their communities to Canada?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you for the question.

I can assure you that an enormous amount of work has gone into mobility rights, over many years. It's a two-way issue: first nations, Inuit and Métis from Canada to the U.S., and vice versa. I can assure you that every measure will be taken to ensure the process is fair, equitable and accessible to our partners.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you, meegwetch.

[The Chair, Liberal, Patrick Weiler]

Thank you very much, Mr. Lemire.

Next, we'll go to Ms. Idlout for two and a half minutes.