Committee
Consult the user guide
For assistance, please contact us
Consult the user guide
For assistance, please contact us
Add search criteria
Results: 1 - 15 of 17
View Charlie Angus Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you, Madam Chair.
This week the Minister of Indigenous Services signed a letter to his own cabinet colleagues telling them not to block justice for indigenous and black people. This is a minister whose own department and government has been found guilty of “wilful and reckless” discrimination against first nations kids, so why doesn't he just take a spoonful of his own medicine and end the legal battle against first nations kids?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
I thank the member for the question.
Indeed, as the Prime Minister has said time and time again, and as we have said time and time again, we will compensate first nations children for the harm that they have suffered. The member knows this well. There are three cases that are outstanding, and we are making modest progress but very positive progress on these cases. I hope to have more information to share with the House at a later date.
View Charlie Angus Profile
NDP (ON)
Modest progress...? This week the minister was willing to chastise the RCMP commissioner and rebuke her for her failure to live up to the best. Now he's telling us “modest”. I don't know if he read the Human Rights Tribunal ruling. It found the government guilty of “wilful and reckless” racial discrimination that was “intentional” with no regard for the consequences to children, and children have died.
Is he willing to say that his ongoing legal battle that is now up to $10 million is modest progress?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, in the course of implementing those court orders, the budget of Indigenous Services Canada allocates over $600 million to achieve equity between first nations children and non-first nations children. This is significant progress over years. Progress is slow. It is sometimes too slow, and we keep moving aggressively to make sure that first nations children aren't left behind. We will continue to do so, Madam Chair.
View Charlie Angus Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you. Let's talk about how they implement this budget.
In order to pretend compliance with the Human Rights Tribunal, his officials told child and family services that they had “unlimited prevention funding” for prevention work. That was the quote. Then, after the organization spent the money, he refused to pay. In Saskatchewan, they're owed $47 million.
Why doesn't he stop telling people how to take a knee, and tell us that he is going to pay that money that was promised to front-line child and protection services across Canada?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, as part of implementing child and family services legislation reform, we're moving forward with first nations to ensure that they exercise that right of self-determination, to ensure that they have control and custody of their children. We will absolutely continue to do so.
We are also, as part of COVID, allowing and ensuring that first nations communities, and children aging out of care, are properly supported as well. The federal government will not cease to ensure that first nations children are indeed properly taken care of in the conditions set forth by first nations communities.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, Chair.
As I am in Ottawa, I do want to acknowledge my presence today on the traditional territory of the Algonquin people.
Kwe, good afternoon, bonjour.
Before I begin, I would like to say a few words on the current social climate. Right now, we are in a moment when Canadians are recognizing that there's unfairness built into our systems and that these systems have always been unfair towards indigenous peoples.
I look to my colleagues on this committee among others and across government to reflect and question ourselves on why injustice towards indigenous peoples still happens and how we can move forward in the short, medium and long term.
This is obvious. We need to ensure that there is accountability and that policing services are committed to ensuring that they are always worthy of the trust we put in them. Indigenous peoples and their communities are entitled to the best, and the best there is of the RCMP.
We need to constantly question and reflect on the issues of systemic racism in institutions, particularly those that hold exceptional powers, ones, at times, of life and death. The exceptional powers exercised by police services across Canada come with correspondingly exceptional responsibilities. We must keep fighting to remove systemic racism from these institutions, institutions that are meant to serve everyone living in this country equally and fairly.
With that, I welcome the opportunity to provide you with an update on our continuing effort to confront the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and to answer your questions on supplementary estimates (A).
As of June 15, Indigenous Services Canada is aware of 247 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in first nations communities on reserves. Of these, 208 individuals are considered to have recovered. In terms of Inuit in Nunavik, all of the 16 cases reported have recovered.
Our commitment to supporting communities in their response to COVID-19 has never wavered. That is why our 2020-21 supplementary estimates (A) reflect a net increase of $1.7 billion. This was essential to address the needs of indigenous peoples during this global crisis. These supplementary estimates include $950.5 million of statutory funding, mostly related to the COVID-19 response measures, in addition to new funding support for key programs such as Jordan's principle and child and family services.
To date, the Government of Canada has made roughly $1.5 billion in distinctions-based funding available to indigenous peoples and northern communities to support their efforts to successfully battle COVID-19. Specifically, these estimates contain more than $280 million to support Indigenous Services Canada's health response in first nations and Inuit communities. This is essential funding that will help to provide first nations and Inuit communities with additional health care providers; personal protective equipment; health infrastructure, specifically retooling existing community spaces or purchasing mobile structures to support isolation, screening and/or accommodations; and community-level infection prevention and control measures that are essential.
In addition to this, these estimates also reflect $305 million for the distinctions-based indigenous community support fund. Of this amount, $215 million was dedicated to first nations, $45 million to Inuit, and $30 million to Métis nation communities, plus $15 million in proposals-based funding for first nations off reserve and urban indigenous organizations and communities.
An additional $75 million was also sought for organizations supporting first nations individuals off reserve and Inuit and Métis living in urban areas, as well as $10 million in funding for emergency family violence prevention shelters on reserve and in Yukon.
As part of our COVID-19 response, we are also providing $260 million to respond to financial pressures on income assistance.
Outside of funding to support our COVID-19 response, these supplementary estimates also include $232 million to support the ongoing implementation of Jordan's principle, and $468.2 million to support the ongoing delivery of the first nations child and family services program. These investments demonstrate the government's ongoing commitment to fully implementing the orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
This investment more than doubles the program's budget, bringing it to nearly $1.7 billion. Funding will be used to ensure that first nations children and families are getting the services they need.
You'll note that we have also made a few other announcements recently. These items will be reflected in future supplementary estimates. These include $75.2 million in new investments to support first nations, Inuit and Métis nations post-secondary recent graduates impacted by the pandemic, and $440 million in funding in support of indigenous businesses and the indigenous tourism industry in response to the hardships created by COVID-19.
I will close by saying that we are committed to responding to the needs of first nations, Inuit and Métis and to stopping the spread of COVID-19. We're committed to getting more nurses, paramedics, nursing stations and health centres to help those who need it most.
I want to take a moment, as I close, to thank all health care professionals working in indigenous communities for their continued dedication and determination to ensure that quality and culturally appropriate care, testing and treatment are provided during this pandemic.
I want to thank members for this opportunity to meet with you today, albeit virtually.
Again, I am happy to answer any and all questions.
Meegwetch. Nakurmiik. Merci.
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
It's nice to see the ministers here today.
My question is for you, Mr. Miller. Talking about systemic racism, I'd like to start with your government. Are there provisions in the 2020-21 supplementary estimates that provide for the cost of complying with the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling to immediately stop racially discriminating against first nation kids?
I have a limited amount of time, so I would ask you to limit your response. Thank you.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
As to the budgetary requirements in order to implement Jordan's principle, absolutely yes. As I noted in a previous answer, those sums—please correct me if I'm wrong, officials—were of an increased amount of $200-plus million.
Thank you.
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Okay. I'm not talking about the $700 million, as that is not certainly identified to pay for the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling.
With all due respect, your government has spent between $5 million and $9.4 million fighting first nations kids. If you have that money to spend fighting little kids in court, why is there nothing in your budget to ensure that little children are afforded basic human rights and to pay what you owe as ordered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling? Children are asking. Could you respond, please?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you.
I would invite a longer, more complete answer should the time run out.
You would have to specify which order. If you were speaking about the current negotiations that the court—
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
I'm talking about the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, with which you are on your tenth non-compliance order.
I'm asking if you have any plans to follow the law or if you are going to continue breaking the law.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
The member will note that we are fulfilling those orders. That is why we have those budgetary amounts with respect to Jordan's principle. They are so key. Currently, we are working with all sides to perfect some of the funding models that the court has asked us to do. We've made good progress.
I should have an update for members shortly.
View Alexandre Boulerice Profile
NDP (QC)
Madam Chair, why are the Liberals taking indigenous children to court to challenge the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling in their favour?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Chair, as the honourable member knows full well, a number of cases are pending, and we are currently negotiating with the parties. We are making progress, and I would be delighted to tell the member and the House about it in response to a later question.
Results: 1 - 15 of 17 | Page: 1 of 2

1
2
>
>|
Export As: XML CSV RSS

For more data options, please see Open Data