Thank you and good morning, Mr. Chair.
I am privileged to be here on the unceded Algonquin territory.
Good morning, everybody.
My name is Michelle Kovacevic, and I am the deputy minister of Indigenous Services Canada. This is my first time appearing before this committee in this new role. I’m quite grateful for the chance to be here so early in my mandate to talk about the path ahead and the important recommendations that the Auditor General and her team have identified. I will be super brief to allow maximum time for discussion.
The Auditor General’s follow-up work offers important insight into where more attention is needed, clearly. The report highlights that, while progress has been made, gaps remain in how federal programs function for first nations.
We agree with the Auditor General’s call for clearer service expectations, stronger coordination, better support for local capacity and sustained management attention. I acknowledge that these are long-standing issues and they require continued attention. I would like to emphasize the words “continued attention”, because I believe that is indeed the key to truly improving services and benefits for indigenous peoples.
Key to our work is strengthening our partnership with first nations, responding to the realities communities face and improving how services are designed and delivered. That includes addressing systemic barriers, improving coordination across departments and supporting indigenous-led approaches grounded in community priorities. We do this by following the lead of first nations partners and moving at the pace they set, where appropriate.
I’d like to thank the committee for the opportunity to speak today, and for your ongoing attention to this work.
I look forward to hearing your perspectives.
I will be happy to take any questions.
Thank you.