I have been asked this question many times, concerning a better accountability mechanism. I will admit that, if I had an ideal solution, I would recommend it to every department.
In this situation, we have seen many commitments to indigenous communities. At the beginning of the meeting, I mentioned the action plan that the department had provided to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. When the department officials and I appear before a committee after a report is tabled, we require the department to provide an action plan. It is this action plan that I referred to earlier. I felt that it was missing elements that I consider essential in an action plan.
Simply defining the actions to be taken is not enough. You also need to designate a person who will be accountable and who will be responsible for setting very clear timelines for accountability and follow‑up. Everyone needs to know exactly what the action plan is and what response we can expect from the department.
That is the context I was referring to, at the beginning.