John Duncan

[Business of Supply, January 31st, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I compliment the member for Nanaimo—Cowichan for her initiative today. There are many positive things happening across the country. We have added eight new first nations very recently to the first nations land management regime. That means those first nations have chosen freedom from 34 sections of the Indian Act so they have control over their land and resources. Within the last two weeks, I announced the regulations that will now allow the natural gas facility at the Haisla First Nation in Kitimat to proceed, bringing jobs and economic opportunity to northwestern British Columbia and opening up markets for Canada in Asia and other places.

There are many examples, and rather than focusing on an attempt to create a negative picture, I would make that comment.

[Intergovernmental Affairs, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome him to the file. We have been negotiating with the government of the Northwest Territories for two years. Here is the member from NWT who suddenly woke up. This is the same member who voted against the Inuvik-Tuk highway. This is the same member who voted contrary to his constituents' wishes and his promise on the gun—

[Intergovernmental Affairs, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, our government shares a common vision with northerners, and that is to give them greater control over their economic and political destinies.

Concluding an agreement will be an important and positive step in the evolution of northern governance and will deliver economic benefits to the Northwest Territories.

We will continue to work with our partners in NWT to reach an agreement that creates a practical, innovative and efficient governance model for the territory.

The benefits of devolution are clear, as we have seen in the Yukon. We want the Northwest Territories to benefit from this as well.

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we are reviewing the decision. The decision is anything but clear-cut. The discussion, in terms of relevant documents, was left somewhat open by the judge. We believe that we have been meeting the spirit and intent, but if there is a slightly different interpretation, we will obviously meet the spirit and intent of the judge's decision.

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 30th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of the member's question.

Our Prime Minister delivered an historic apology to Canada's first nations on our role in the residential school system. That was in 2008. Since then federal departments have disclosed nearly one million documents to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part of a court supervised process. We are reviewing the judge's decision that was rendered today. It certainly does not say what the member across states.

We will continue to fulfill our obligations under the—

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, we continue to work with willing partners on shared priorities including education, economic development and access to safe drinking water. Our government will continue to take action because we believe that first nations deserve the same opportunities as all Canadians.

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of the concrete steps we have taken to improve living conditions and economic opportunities for aboriginal communities. We have built or renovated hundreds of schools, built thousands of homes, invested in safe drinking water and introduced measures to create economic opportunities. While we have made progress, we recognize work still needs to be done. We will continue to work with aboriginal leaders who choose to work with the government to create jobs and economic opportunities.

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, as a result of the January 11 meeting at which the Prime Minister and I met with first nation leaders to discuss economic development treaties and comprehensive claims, there was a commitment for a high-level dialogue on the treaty relationship and comprehensive claims, enhanced oversight from the Prime Minister's Office and the Privy Council Office and meeting with the National Chief in the upcoming weeks to review next steps. We believe that working together with first nations is the best way to achieve our shared objective.

[Aboriginal Affairs, January 29th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to structural reforms. We cannot throw money at a problem. We need to make structural reforms.

In December I launched an intensive consultation process that will take place with first nations parents, students, educational leaders and educators from coast to coast to coast. The first of these sessions took place last week. I have written to every community to invite them to these sessions. Their input will be critical to the development of the national first nations education act.

[Questions on the Order Paper, January 28th, 2013]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada is concerned, our response is as follows.

In 2010-2011, the Government of Canada invested approximately $1.5 billion to support first nation elementary and secondary education, with an additional $304 million provided to first nations for the construction and maintenance of education infrastructure on reserve. Note that all financial data is sourced from AANDC’s financial system and reflects total expenditures transferred by AANDC to first nations and other eligible recipients for the purposes of supporting elementary and secondary education for first nation students ordinarily resident on reserve.

These investments supported approximately 117,500 first nation students, ordinarily residing on reserve, in their elementary or secondary education. Note that student numbers are derived from AANDC nominal roll data for the 2010-11 school year.

Taking into consideration that a number of these students were part-time, for example kindergarten, this translated into 111,711 full-time equivalent students, FTEs, receiving support in 2010-2011. This number includes an estimated 10,343 FTEs that are covered under self-government education agreements, as well as 38 FTEs that are funded through the Yukon regional office but reside and go to school in northern British Columbia.

Approximately 60%, or 67,568 FTEs, of these students attended band-operated schools, while 36%, or 40,732 FTEs, attended provincially operated schools. The remaining 4%, or 3,411 FTEs, of students attended private schools or one of the seven federally operated schools.

On a per capita basis, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, AANDC, provided approximately $13,524 per FTE in 2010-2011. Not included in this calculation is the $304 million to maintain and improve education infrastructure for band-operated schools. It should be noted that there is considerable variation in the level of per-student funding across the country, and any funding comparisons must consider the factors that influence per-student funding levels in order to be meaningful, such as school size, geographic location, et cetera.

In 2010-2011, AANDC’s expenditures for first nation elementary and secondary education comprised a set of basic services and proposal-based programs. Some of these programs and services apply to first nation students attending both band-operated and provincial schools and, with the exception of instructional services and high cost special education, cannot be accurately broken down between those who attend band schools and those who attend provincial schools. It should also be noted that these expenditures reflect the funding provided by AANDC to first nation communities that generally have the flexibility to adjust funding levels to address their priorities within the terms and conditions of the respective programs.