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Results: 46 - 60 of 2766
View Julie Vignola Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you very much for being here, Ms. Suitor, Mr. Metatawabin, Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Ducharme, and also for your patience. I am extremely grateful to you.
You talked about the government initiatives that have been put in place since 1996, but you also talked about how difficult it is, at times, to find qualified employees within the community itself. That reminded me of something. Seventeen years ago, I took part in the E‑Spirit aboriginal business plan competition. That was an indigenous entrepreneurship competition whose goal was precisely to foster young people's desire to go to school and excel, to be able to acquire skills, and so on. As far as I know, that competition no longer exists.
To improve the qualification, what initiatives would work—because to date, we are seeing things that sometimes work and sometimes don't—and would enable indigenous businesses to find qualified employees within their communities?
Do you want to answer my question, Mr. Metatawabin?
Shannin Metatawabin
View Shannin Metatawabin Profile
Shannin Metatawabin
2021-06-09 18:20
Oh, I like this question. This is so important.
When you think about creating an entrepreneur, you have to start at the very beginning. This starts with the children.
I was speaking with Chris Googoo today from Ulnooweg. They have a whole pathway of learning whereby they enter the schools to begin introducing STEM, introducing skills and innovation, so that when the students get to the time when they're selecting careers, they'll either go to school or start a business. They already have entrepreneurship and business in their vocabulary. That's so important.
The AFI network works with businesses every day. They're always developing capacity programs and providing the training directly to the entrepreneur. However, support for the indigenous business development network has decreased by 70% in the past 20 years. Rocky, who has a certain number of business officers, has reduced his numbers because the support he has received is not there anymore. We need to increase that and provide some enablers, some stimulus, to ensure that we can provide the skills to everybody who wants to start a business.
View Julie Vignola Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you for your answer, Mr. Metatawabin.
Stop me if I have it wrong, but from what I am hearing, not only do the initiatives fail, but there has also been a funding cut that has exacerbated the record of failure.
Have I understood correctly, Mr. Metatawabin?
Shannin Metatawabin
View Shannin Metatawabin Profile
Shannin Metatawabin
2021-06-09 18:21
If we take it back a little bit further, a number of barriers were created for indigenous people placed in reserves, away from the market. We have legislation in the Indian Act that prevents us from using our house as security. We don't have any wealth generation within our community, so equity is a problem, and so are skilling in the community, infrastructure and water. People are surviving on a day-to-day basis.
Providing skilling so that people can consider entrepreneurship as an option is a huge win. If we can do that and have government that is willing to say that indigenous people matter, this is low-hanging fruit. We can provide reconciliation by providing government opportunities that are already there. We just have to enable the indigenous business by saying that this is a real opportunity and it's going to happen this time.
View Julie Vignola Profile
BQ (QC)
I am going to ask you each to answer the next question.
The autonomy and self-determination of the First Nations are values that are very important to me and must be prioritized.
At present, the government finally seems to understand that in order for measures to be effective, they have to be put in place in collaboration with the First Nations, not imposed on them.
You have skills and you have experience, ideas and a culture. All of that has to be put to work.
Is it possible that the explanation for the low percentages of contracts awarded and of successful initiatives can be explained in part, but not solely, by the fact that there has been little inclusion of the First Nations in the processes and consultations and in deciding the changes that have been made?
Philip Ducharme
View Philip Ducharme Profile
Philip Ducharme
2021-06-09 18:23
If I could go ahead, I think this sort of ties back to what you said as well.
One thing we need to ensure is that the federal government works with indigenous businesses well before an RFP is posted. Once an RFP is posted, it's too late for our businesses to scale up and go out and resource the employees they need.
I know that even within the Centre Block in Ottawa, a lot of construction will be going on in the next 20 to 30 years. As well, we're working with the federal government and OSME to try to ensure that these businesses realize what opportunities are coming up. Then we can work with the asset holders and say that these are the types of trades and opportunities that will be required in our indigenous businesses to be able to fulfill these contracts, so that when the actual RFP is posted, we're able to apply to it and we're capable of responding to those RFPs fully, without having to scramble and then say that we don't have the means.
I think one of the best things that needs to happen is more engagement prior to the actual RFP coming out.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses.
I'm going to start by doing something I don't normally do. That's just noting in a very non-partisan way that I believe in my heart that all the members of this committee want to see increased procurement coming through to the indigenous communities. They want to see the programs that are in place work. I believe that to be true on the opposition side and on the government side.
I would also note that nobody understands the challenges that are faced in our first nations, Métis and Inuit communities better than those who are actually experiencing them. Your testimony today, in a very short period of time—notwithstanding the wait that you had—has already laid out some really compelling and very obvious next steps for this government to take.
I want to note that I have a concern about timing and what may or may not happen out of this study in terms of our being able to report back and have recommendations from this study. I'm unclear about whether that's going to happen in this session or the next. I do, however, want the opportunity to get on the record a few of the points that have been reiterated, because unfortunately I won't be able to pass it as a motion at this point. I don't think it would be time-effective.
Mr. Ducharme, you brought out what was for me one of the most compelling points, which was that if it doesn't get measured, it doesn't get done. I've been pushing the Auditor General to include, in all of their audits and studies, a framework very similar to what you identified in terms of having open and transparent reporting on the deliverables and the outcomes within the main estimates. I think you also touched on departmental plans. You also talked about, I believe, a directive on performance management.
Could you please restate those points from your notes, to go back into the Hansard, for people who are watching? Hopefully, the senior members or parliamentary secretaries who are here could take this back and maybe move on this, without our having to do anything formally.
Can you restate that ask with detail?
Philip Ducharme
View Philip Ducharme Profile
Philip Ducharme
2021-06-09 18:27
I'll get to my notes here.
I think one of the areas we talked about was the directive on performance management. It would be as simple as changing 4.1.2 and including indigenous procurement in there. Right now it says, “determining, in consultation with the deputy head, the departmental criteria for talent management plans”. If we were to include “including indigenous procurement targets in accordance with the appendix to this directive”, it would make a big difference.
Also, the standard on performance management, specifically in A.2.2.1.1, could also now potentially read, “Clear and measurable work objectives, with associated performance measures including indigenous procurement targets, that are linked to the priorities of the organization and of the Government of Canada”. Again, this is something that can be done without being legislated.
In other programs that were held in the U.S., it was actually legislated, and that's what made the difference. I think it was President Nixon who brought that executive order forward in 1968. I think here in Canada the mandate is a good start. As Shannin also mentioned, there does need to be teeth to it; otherwise, it's not going to resonate and happen.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
I believe you referenced having a reporting back in the main and supplementary estimates. Perhaps you could find that in your notes and also repeat that for the purpose of the committee. My hope again is that the colleagues we have here in government, the policy people who are tapped into these calls, will get a chance to hear this and maybe take you up on it as a form of real movement from this government towards outcomes.
Shannin Metatawabin
View Shannin Metatawabin Profile
Shannin Metatawabin
2021-06-09 18:29
Can I add one thing?
I'll tell you where Australia really made the big change. They issued the targets, but the change only really happened when the government departments were transparent with how they achieved their targets and showed them to each other so that there was a competitive environment, with your department now showing where you stand with indigenous procurement. That's when real change happened. Now department heads and their bureaucrats are doing everything they can to achieve it.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
While I certainly support that idea, I would also love to see it reflected to the public. I would love to see it presented in our reports that come back through public accounts, because, again, within the culture of the government, that's one thing, but I think there's also a forward-facing public responsibility. I can't quite get the words, but maybe I'll reference back to the Hansard if Mr. Ducharme doesn't have the wording handy.
Philip Ducharme
View Philip Ducharme Profile
Philip Ducharme
2021-06-09 18:30
I actually do have it handy.
It was Ms. Bull who also brought that forward to the committee on February 22. It was for the “committee [to] consider measures that would mandate government departments and agencies to report on their purchases from indigenous businesses as...part of their submissions to the main estimates and the supplementary estimates committee.”
Again, when they do their supplementary estimates, they can state at that time what their indigenous procurement is. That's another form of recording it and ensuring that it is happening.
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
One of the ways that I hope to document this is that it will be in the Hansard. Again, I believe everybody around this table wants to see these programs succeed.I really do.
One of the commitments I'm going to leave with all of you is that I'm going to take those recommendations and go ahead and put those into a formal letter from me, out of my office, to the ministers responsible, again just to have it on paper and on the public record. It's my hope that at this time next year, you and Ms. Bull won't have to come back with this request again. My hope is to see it actually in the systems and principles and reporting mechanisms of government, because this is a government that says it wants to be committed to being open by default, and I would like to see that accountability carried through.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
View Pierre Paul-Hus Profile
CPC (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, everyone.
I am in Quebec City, a few hundred metres from the Wendake community, which is very well integrated in the Quebec City region. There are a lot of excellent businesses in Wendake; I am familiar with several of them.
I would like to ask a question, and I hope that the interpretation will enable us to understand one another properly.
Mr. Ducharme, Ms. Suitor and Mr. Metatawabin, you have spoken about trust. From what I understand, there is often a problem of trust between the government and the indigenous community in the business world when it comes to awarding contracts.
My next question is very technical, and I hope it will be understood properly. Do you think that the fact that the Government of Canada does not have the legal means that it needs for resolving a contractual problem with an indigenous business might be a factor that explains why fewer contracts are awarded to your businesses?
I hope that what I said was clear to the interpreters.
I would ask Mr. Ducharme to answer the question.
Philip Ducharme
View Philip Ducharme Profile
Philip Ducharme
2021-06-09 18:32
Thank you, Mr. Paul-Hus.
I'm not sure whether the question is clear, but I think you did talk about trust, and I think this is an area where we are struggling.
I know that a lot of our businesses have said.... I alluded to one company that's done 32 bids within the last year. We held a recovery forum last year through work. It was a little bit sad because we had so many businesses that said they were no longer going to be applying to the federal government for contracts. That hurt a little bit because we are working quite closely.
Mr. Green mentioned that he believes all parties are interested in this issue. That does make us feel good, and I think that's what we need to do. We will relay that message back to our businesses to try to bring them back into the fold. It seems that in the past we've taken one step forward and two steps back.
However, I think we really need to work on that trust issue with the federal government so that our businesses do look at opportunities with regard to procurement.
Results: 46 - 60 of 2766 | Page: 4 of 185

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