Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In the minister's responses and the Liberal Party's comments, there was a lot of talk about provincial responsibility. I would like to make a small comment in relation to that.
When we meet with people from the Atikamekw community of Manawan and other first nations, the issue of referral is systematically part of the problems that are raised. When the communities make a request to Ottawa, they are told that it is Quebec's responsibility; in Quebec City, they are told that it is Ottawa's responsibility. It's as if services to first nations were a hot potato that they were systematically trying to get rid of. It's up to the community to take the steps and provide the proof, whereas there should be more coordination on the part of the different governments to ensure that services are provided.
In connection with this, as stated earlier, the Auditor General recalls that emergency management is a shared responsibility between first nations, the provinces and the federal government. Roles and responsibilities are set out in agreements. Yet, in her report, the Auditor General specifically states that “Indigenous Services Canada did not have service agreements in all provinces with provincial governments or other service providers to ensure the delivery of emergency services in first nations communities”.
Is Indigenous Services Canada currently working on agreements for all first nations in all provinces and territories? If so, can you provide us with an expected date for all agreements to be completed?