Good afternoon, everyone. The day has been quite long.
[Witness spoke in Cree and provided the following translation:]
Hello, everyone. Thank you for inviting me.
[English]
Last time, I don't think translation was provided when I spoke in Cree.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, for inviting me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come back.
I welcome the Auditor General's follow-up report on programs for first nations and Inuit, and along with that the feedback directly from the community that guides our ongoing effort and commitment to ensure we are continually striving to improve the delivery of services.
The Auditor General's message to us was direct—there is progress since the earlier audits, and there was an additional message that was very clear to us, but there are places where our progress must go faster, be clearer and be more accountable. That's what a follow-up is. It is a measure to ensure that you are seeking to follow the progress you're making. We also are looking to measure what has changed and to name what hasn't, to understand why, and also to focus on what our next steps are.
My department and I will soon present an action plan that will lay out the next steps we are going to undertake, shaped by what we've also heard from communities, which are a valuable part of this conversation. I carry this responsibility with care, and I'm looking forward to that work, which will be presented in spring 2026.
As a first nations woman, I can attest directly to the impact of services and the impact felt when proper services are not provided. I've also seen the difference when a community or service is well prepared. I know directly from personal history, living in a remote community, what it means when there is a nurse who delivers that service with care and compassion, and also what it means when that nurse is able to deliver it in your mother tongue. I know that listening to our leaders is a critical part of that, and being rooted in an approach that's based on culture is something that is very significant and necessary to ensure proper health care.
Let me share some of the work we've already done, beginning in health services.
Working with first nations partners, we've taken steps to bring care closer to home. I think this is absolutely imperative. This includes expanding eligible services to include paramedics, licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners, and also improving the ways we hire and retain health workers in the communities that need them the most. We have also included the hiring of over 100 new frontline nurses, and those nurses are often working in remote and isolated communities. What does this mean? It means more consistent primary care, better after-hours support and, most importantly, fewer trips far away from family to receive that basic service.
We are improving dental care delivery, with 2.8 million dental claims provided for first nations and Inuit last year. That number represents real people who have accessed a broad range of dental services, from prevention to fillings, across Canada and across the span of their life.
We're also investing in first nations-led solutions. On September 12 of this year, at Whitecap Dakota nation, I had the opportunity to participate with the community and partners in turning the sod on the new construction of a virtual health centre, the first of its kind in Canada.
Supported by over $28 million in federal funding, this project is innovative, and it will be indigenous-led. It will connect more than 90 remote communities in Saskatchewan to health services provided in the community.
During COVID-19, the OAG reported that Indigenous Services Canada adapted quickly to providing personal protective equipment to indigenous communities and organizations when other sources were not available.
At Indigenous Services Canada, we also streamlined ways to bring nurses and paramedics in, especially responding to communities when they were at their most vulnerable, as they often had members with very complex health needs. We were able to provide that support during a critical period of time.
Since this audit, we have also improved the way we send assistance where it's needed most. We can now quickly send staff and supplies when the communities need them. This is a critical approach.
Today, at Indigenous Services Canada, we respond to all requests for personal protective equipment for health services in the communities.
Regarding emergency management, I think everybody here knows this was one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in history. I want to thank community leaders, elders, firefighters and those who fought on the front line to keep communities safe.
In the audit on emergency management in first nations communities, they asked for clarity before fire and flood seasons: agreements, role logistics, funding and timely support during and after events, with investment in prevention and mitigation. Since the 2022 audit, we have seen that Indigenous Services Canada has developed a comprehensive action plan and implemented targeted measures across all recommendations to strengthen preparedness, coordination and accountability.
The department remains on track to meet all of the associated timelines, including the development of new multilateral agreements in collaboration with first nations and provinces.
There are currently eight bilateral emergency management agreements and seven wildfire agreements in place. We are supporting over 300 emergency management coordination positions across the country.
We will continue to work with the communities, building on indigenous knowledge so we can protect lives, build community resilience and reduce the impact of emergencies.
Ensuring clean, safe drinking water for first nations is a top priority for this government, and for me personally. We are funding operations and maintenance for existing systems and supporting first nations in new infrastructure builds.
Since 2015, we've seen sustained progress. We've committed over $7 billion to support first nations for on-reserve water and waste-water infrastructure and operations and maintenance, including over $5 billion to support 1,545 water and waste-water projects that will benefit 595 communities serving approximately 481,000 people; 725 of these projects have been completed to date.
The results have been clear. We were able to lift 149 long-term drinking water advisories, providing access to clean water to 9,289 homes and 655 buildings and further preventing 310 short-term water advisories from becoming long-term problems.
Based on 2023-24 performance inspections, 97.5% of public water systems on reserve produce treated water that meets the prescribed standards in the guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality.
However, as the Auditor General also pointed out, there's still work left to do. In every community with a long-term drinking water advisory, there is a plan in place and there is work under way with the community to work towards lifting it. I'm committed to advancing this work while making sure that we are not only accelerating this process but also demonstrating progress.
