PACP Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Public Accounts |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent des comptes publics |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED TO MEET GOVERNMENT COMMITMENTS ON LAND CLAIMS, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Ottawa, February 02, 2011 -
Timely funding must be provided to First Nations groups in the Northwest Territories to support critical services for sustaining development, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts presented to the House of Commons today.
A Spring 2010 report by the Auditor General found delays in funding First Nations groups for negotiation of land claim and self-government agreements. The audit also found that the environmental regulatory system and monitoring of environmental cumulative impacts by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and Environment Canada (EC) were lacking. Further, the report found little performance measurement for skills training and economic development by INAC, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), and the new Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).
The Committee recommends that the government implement mechanisms, such as multi-year funding for contribution agreements, to ensure timely funding to First Nations groups for negotiations on self-government. The Committee also recommends that the government deliver on long-standing commitments to develop and implement an environmental regulatory system and cumulative impacts monitoring program.
Finally, the Committee requested that HRSDC provide a progress report on its skills training programs and that CanNor provide a copy of its five-year plan to report on performance. The Committee will be monitoring the government’s action on these recommendations and will report further, if required.
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