Evidence of meeting #45 for Public Accounts in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was offenders.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Liberal
TJ Harvey Liberal Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
One is what they found, and one is the recommendation based on that.
Representative, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
That is noted as ongoing because it's going to be a continuous process of discussion and dialogue with the Assembly of First Nations. We'll be making improvements and then we'll continue to have dialogue with them about what further things they think we're going to need to improve in the future.
Liberal
TJ Harvey Liberal Tobique—Mactaquac, NB
Okay, I understand that, but what I'm saying is we've been having an ongoing conversation for three-quarters of a century—
Liberal
The Vice-Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
Mr. Harvey, I'm sorry.
Go ahead, Ms. McLeod, for five minutes, please.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I want to pick up a little bit where I left off. In your document there are 10 recommendations. When you gave us the update, all but two of them required working with the Assembly of First Nations in that collaborative process. The website didn't...but I just heard that the website does too.
You're telling me that you're going to be moving forward on all 10 recommendations in a collaborative process. Is that accurate?
Representative, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There are aspects of reporting that require collaboration with the Assembly of First Nations so that we can make sure what we are reporting meets their needs and their interests. The specifics of the technicality around the website are an issue we're working on with Shared Services Canada, and that doesn't involve others.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
This chart should reflect that need.
Then I see in your statements that they had four areas of priority. Does that mean we should be expecting a focus on the four areas of priority and real movement on them, and the other six are going to get left in abeyance?
I really want to understand how you're designing and working with these technical working groups to move forward in terms of some action. Do you have a subgroup? Is your technical working group only on specific land claims, or is it on a whole host of issues related to first nations?
Director General, Specific Claims Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There's other work going on with the Assembly of First Nations. This specific one we're talking about is just on specific claims resolutions.
I would say those four priorities are also ours. We identified them jointly with the first nations, and that doesn't preclude us from having other discussions. We just thought that as there are so many things, we were going to focus on these because they were of more importance.
Conservative
Director General, Specific Claims Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I think we've had two or three meetings over the last.... We've had subcommittee meetings. I should have that number, but I don't have it with me now. I've met three times since the summer on this. We are trying to meet every couple of months on it at the joint working group, and then do subcommittee work in between those meetings.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Would it be possible to have a reflection tabled with this committee in terms of dates of the meetings, who attended, and the focus?
Director General, Specific Claims Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I'd want to confer with the Assembly of First Nations on that, but if you're saying to report back from time to time on whether we're making progress, I think that's possible.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Would it be fair to say that in regard to the small claims of $3 million and how you're going to move those forward in a more facilitative fashion, you haven't dealt with that yet?
Director General, Specific Claims Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We have in one sense. A discussion about that case ended by saying that we can't just send a letter, so we changed our practice as a result. That doesn't preclude further work with the Assembly of First Nations and other stakeholders on ways to improve it. It is an issue. We haven't come up with any joint recommendations yet, though, if that was your question.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
I'm going to switch topics for a minute.
As I go through the chart in terms of how this process works, I'll say that I'm from British Columbia and perhaps know better than anyone how important it is that we create resolution to these long-standing issues.
I also live in a rural area, and the one person I think seems to get left out regularly.... Is there any place where third parties that are going to be impacted in terms of decision-making will fit into this, where they're at least included or are aware of what's happening? Whether it's ranchers or tourism operators, I have example after example of situations where I think you would get to better specific claims resolutions if you also, in some cases, had that insight and perspective. Often there are cases in which people have worked side by side together in a valley for years. That's a piece that I see as missing.
Representative, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
We need to distinguish between specific claims and land claims.
Representative, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Land claims have a completely distinct process, which has public consultation embedded in it. It depends on the nature of what is being addressed through a specific claim, so there are—
Conservative
Representative, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
There are, depending on the aspects.... If a specific claim is bringing up return of lands, and if those lands are crown lands, there are public consultations that occur in that regard. If it's strictly about dealing with cash compensation, then no, there wouldn't be public hearings on that aspect.
Liberal
The Vice-Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
Thank you very much.
Mr. Chandra Arya is next, for five minutes, please.
Liberal
Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Madam Chair, I would like to place on record my anguish that the deputy minister is not here. According to my knowledge, the deputy minister is the designated official accountable. The invitation from the committee clerk has gone to the deputy minister, and we have the assistant deputy minister saying he doesn't know why the deputy minister is not here.
Having said that, I'm looking at the recommendations and the key interim milestones. In 6.45, the OAG's recommendation is:
In cooperation with First Nations, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada should make its negotiation practices to expedite small-value claims...
The interim milestone states:
Fall 2017: With the agreement of the Assembly of First Nations / Canada Joint Technical Working Group, strike a Sub-Committee to examine....
Do you mean to say that we have to wait until fall of this year before a subcommittee is formed?
Director General, Specific Claims Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
No, sorry. Before we'd be able to get recommendations that we think might be joint recommendations, a subcommittee would be formed.