Gary Vidal

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Chair, my colleague sits with us on the INAN committee. I would like her to recall that, back in the spring, we were talking to the minister about on-reserve graduation rates. Both the minister and the deputy minister were surprised that, according to their department's results and plans, they were supposed to set a target for grad rates. I do not know if she remembers that conversation, but we were very surprised that neither one of them was aware of this rate that was supposed to be set. There was a lot of confusion in the room.

Finally, they came back and committed to us that there would be a rate set this fall. This was after an expected target for the graduation rate had been promised for two years. This fall, the target they came back with was to improve the graduation rates over and above what they were last year. It took two years to set that as a target.

Graduation rates are a very critical component of success. Could my colleague comment on how the department has failed indigenous kids in the context of not supporting them and not striving to achieve some targets?

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for her very compassionate comments.

The speaker before my colleague talked about driving change and she alluded to some of that in her comments as well. When 99.2% of the executives at level 3 and above, the top 50 executives in the department, are getting performance bonuses, I wonder about a change in the system. How can we measure performance pay, so that we are not paying bonuses to people who are not getting the job done and the organizational goals are not being met and the results are not being met?

I wonder if my colleague would like to comment on how actually creating some accountability in the top levels of the department, right up to the minister, might actually facilitate the driving of change, so that the outcomes and the results for indigenous people across our country are improved.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, I did not know I was going to get a second opportunity.

In four years, the department has grown from 4,200 full-time employees to 7,070. In 2021-22, despite only reaching 17% of the departmental targets it set for itself, 94.6 of the employees at the executive level or above at ISC received performance pay.

Would the minister agree that the significant disconnect between individual performance and organizational outcomes is a big reason we are having these conversations today? We need to hold somebody accountable and I wonder if he agrees.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, I asked a question of the parliamentary secretary earlier and I want to get the minister's take on it as well.

I looked at the website for Crown Indigenous Relations, which is his department, in the context of water legislation. It talks about the engagement approach, which includes “advancing development of a legislative proposal” with the Assembly of First Nations, “ongoing direct engagement with First Nations rights holders, Modern Treaty and Self Governing Nations” and “engaging provinces and territories”.

What we heard earlier from the parliamentary secretary is that it almost seemed like that was an opportunity to fill out a form. In a statement from the FSIN today, it said:

...the first public draft released by Canada in February was developed in secret by Indigenous Services Canada without any direct input from First Nations, a fact that has been raised by the Assembly of First Nations and several regional First Nations organizations over the course of 2023.

Can the minister maybe clarify a bit about how the consultation was done? Was there any going out and talking to people or was there just an online application where people got to participate in the process?

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, the member and her colleagues from the NDP stand in this place and rail against the Liberals for some of the issues they perceive to be caused by the Liberal government in the context of the relationship with indigenous people. My question is actually a simple one: Can the member identify what specific elements of their coalition agreement with the Liberals affect indigenous issues? How are they holding the government to account through that agreement specifically?

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, no. I just wanted to respond.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, if I recall, and it is very clear in the record, that member apologized for what he said 15 years ago.

I would ask whether the member, in his youth, ever said anything he regretted and whether he wants to stand up and apologize for it.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, look at my record. I have advocated for indigenous people across the country consistently. I serve a riding that has 71.3% indigenous people, and I have advocated for them through COVID. I have advocated for them to have economic opportunities that will actually solve the poverty and the challenges they face in their communities, and I will continue to do that.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, I am not responsible for the comments other people made 15 years ago; that is not on me.

[Indigenous Services, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Chair, as I said in my comments, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has made it clear that there is a lack of accountability and that the investments being made are not being made in a way that is improving the lives of indigenous people across our country. That is what we advocate for.

If we go over my record in Hansard, we will see the word “outcomes” in my interventions, both at committee and in the House, probably hundreds of times. I am all about our getting outcomes. I am all about accountability. I am all about getting results. I believe that is how we are going to make the investments in indigenous people across the country that will result in an improved quality of life and improved standard of living. That is how we are going to get it done.