Evidence of meeting #56 for Status of Women in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was welfare.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Thank you.
I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming in here today.
Just to go back and to clarify, I'm sitting on the aboriginal affairs committee, and we are talking about family services. I'm very interested in hearing this, but first of all, I want to go back to the previous testimony in regard to the school at Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.
I know we've discussed this within the committee, and I just wanted to clarify couple of things. Am I correct that INAC has scheduled a new school?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
It's in the long-term capital plan.
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
It's in the long-term capital plan. Back on February 25, 2010, regional officials met with the working group from the community and $200,000 was allocated for the 2010-11 fiscal year. Is that correct?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
I don't know the exact amount. That's not my area of expertise. I know that the regional office and officials have been working with the community to complete the necessary pre-work before they head into design. They are working with the community to arrive at a process for doing the design work and then would move forward on the construction of the school. I'm not aware of the total dollar amounts afforded to that activity this year.
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
From what I was told, if my memory serves me correctly, the funding is currently being planned for the design and the construction phases.
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes. It usually takes a number of years to get through the process of design and then construction. It doesn't happen in one year. It takes a year or two for design, and then construction starts, and that can take up to one or two years to complete.
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Thank you.
In regard to similar testimony I heard today, I'd like to get some clarification on family services in the first nations.
I believe that there was $104.8 million in additional funding in 2008 allocated for Saskatchewan. By chance, do you know the funding arrangement or the funding status or the funding amount prior to that year?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Do you mean for Saskatchewan itself?
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
I mean for Saskatchewan. As well, what's the total funding now, to date?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Do we have that?
Senior Policy Analyst, Social Programs Reform Directorate, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes. For Saskatchewan, the enhanced prevention was announced in July 2008. They received $104.8 million over five years, with ongoing annual funding of $22.8 million.
Conservative
Rob Clarke Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Thank you.
Is that additional money?
Senior Policy Analyst, Social Programs Reform Directorate, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Yes.
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
If you need to know what the base was, we'd have to get back to you with that figure.
Conservative
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Absolutely.
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
I'd like to ask a question that goes back somewhat to what Ms. Demers was saying.
We've been hearing things since we've been considering the issue of aboriginal women. We also don't have access to some provincial jurisdictions. When we give money to certain provinces, we give it for certain things, such as aboriginal affairs or education, but the province doesn't have to tell us how it spends the money. Is that correct?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Do you mean in terms of the child and family services funding we provide to provinces?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Is your question about whether they are accountable for the funds?
Conservative
Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
When we give money to a province with which we have an agreement on education or child health care, do you have an agreement that makes it possible to determine where that money goes? Is the money being spent in the right places?
Director General, Social Policy and Programs Branch, Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
They have to report back to us under the terms and conditions of the agreements we enter. As part of those terms and conditions, we expect them to tell us where they have spent the money in areas such as maintenance and operations. There are criteria within those costing models they need to meet. We do that with them on a regular basis.
Conservative
