Evidence of meeting #99 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was communities.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
Jaime Battiste Liberal Sydney—Victoria, NS
Are we offering, with the Assembly of First Nations, the ability for those communities to pass on that knowledge to other communities interested in going down this route?
12:20 p.m.
Director General, Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Branch, Department of Indigenous Services
Certainly, in terms of the capacity-building funding, we do support the Assembly of First Nations, yes.
12:20 p.m.
Liberal
12:20 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In its 2023‑24 departmental plan, Indigenous Services Canada states the following:
…there is a risk that uncertainty on the interpretation and expectations related to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families might generate frustration and compromise relationships with Indigenous partners, provinces, and territories.
For some time, we've seen significant amounts of funding being returned to the treasury. I'd like to know your plans to get the money earmarked for indigenous communities to them, so they can work on prevention and fully manage their new responsibilities. How are you going to deliver the funding in such a way that it meets communities' real needs, and is available and readily accessible to them? How are you going to make sure it is not returned to the treasury, something that happens all too often when funding is promised to indigenous peoples?
First nations need to build capacity. Capacity-building is something the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, in particular, has been pushing hard for. The answers we've gotten on the amounts disbursed and the negotiation process have been quite vague, so as the situation stands, I worry that it's going to generate considerable frustration and compromise partnerships. I urge you to act swiftly.
What steps do you want to take to cut some of the red tape in order to meet the real needs of communities?
12:25 p.m.
Director General, Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Branch, Department of Indigenous Services
Thank you for your question.
I would say that the legislation really seeks to address those criticisms through the provision of flexible, sustainable long-term funding that is managed by the communities that have taken over this jurisdiction. I am well aware of the criticism that the administrative burden communities face is often onerous, given their unique circumstances. Through grants, we are trying to establish another form of funding, which is still planned for the coordination agreements. These are long-term agreements with built-in flexibility so that communities can fund their priorities and focus on prevention in the programs they implement.
12:25 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Thank you for taking a long-term approach. It's fundamental, and it's something communities have been calling for. Thank you as well for assuming your funding responsibilities. Under the decision, you have an obligation to pay for these services.
Thank you.
12:25 p.m.
Director General, Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Branch, Department of Indigenous Services
Thank you.
12:25 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
I could go on, Mr. Chair, but I will leave it there out of respect for my fellow member, so she can have her two and a half minutes.
12:25 p.m.
Liberal
March 18th, 2024 / 12:25 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Thank you so much.
I want to clarify. It's often said that it's at the pace at which communities want to go. I want to clarify that it's not really at that pace. I don't think we've ever not wanted jurisdiction over our kids. It's about the funding and resources that are provided to give back our human rights and to uphold UNDRIP so that we can care for our kids.
In the fall economic statement and the 2023-24 departmental plan, sunset of funding includes that in budget 2021 for mental health and wellness, and specifically funding from budget 2019 for continued implementation of Jordan's principle and supporting Inuit children, and funding to support individual compensation, capital expenditures, and immediate reforms of first nations child and family services and Jordan's principle.
What I find odd, when we talk about Bill C-92, is that there are still no plans for money. Jordan's principle keeps kids alive in my community, even though it's not often provided or given out in a timely manner in terms of service providers. That is sunsetting.
I've put forward amendments to EI to make sure that EI regimes would be consistent with how we choose to care for our children, which is a right affirmed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It seems there's no consistency with this government in terms of when it is or isn't going to uphold the rule of law when it comes to indigenous human rights, particularly in relation to our children, depending on what the legislation is.
What concerns me is this. If there isn't a plan for total legislative reform, is this government really serious about implementing UNDRIP? We can't change things if people don't want to pay for that. There is a cost to violent colonization. One of the costs of that violence is the fact that we have an overrepresentation in the child welfare system.
Is there any plan to make sure legislation is consistent to affirm our right to have self-determination over the care of our children, whether in terms of EI, Jordan's principle or Bill C-92?
12:30 p.m.
Director General, Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families Branch, Department of Indigenous Services
Thank you.
I'll defer to my Justice colleagues on that.
12:30 p.m.
Director and General Counsel, Aboriginal Law Centre, Department of Justice
What I can speak to is the UN declaration action plan, which has over 180 measures. Within that, there are a number of potential legislative measures. The act itself, the UN declaration, which you mentioned earlier, as well as the first priority in the UN declaration action plan, requires the government to create a process to ensure that laws are consistent with the UN declaration.
12:30 p.m.
NDP
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Yes, but that was supposed to be done within two years, and it's gone well past the two years. That's the problem.
12:30 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal John Aldag
With that, we are out of time. Thank you.
I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here with us this morning. It's been a good discussion.
Members have asked a number of questions that we have asked for follow-up on, so we'll be getting those questions to you. I would encourage you to get them back to us as soon as you can.
With that, colleagues, we are going to suspend.
For anybody online, I'll ask you to log back in, as quickly as possible, to the in camera link that was sent to you. We have committee business that we'll be turning to.
We'll suspend for a few minutes and get back in as soon as we can.
[Proceedings continue in camera]