Question Period Note: Accountability in Indigenous Spending

N.A.

• Indigenous partners are committed to accountability, as is our Government.
• The majority of this year’s Departmental funding is dedicated to Indigenous Governments ($8.2 billion).
• Remaining ($4.8 billion) funding includes settlements of litigation and the management of contaminated sites in the North.
• Departmental spending is subject to internal audits as well as audits of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Indigenous governments also audit their own financial reports.
• The Department has been codeveloping targets with Indigenous partners to ensure that we are measuring the right outcomes and that accountability is shared.

N.A.

If pressed on Specific Accountability Measures
• We have just tabled legislation to set up an Independent Commissioner on Modern Treaties to strengthen federal accountabilities on our legal responsibilities to Indigenous Governments.
• Funding provided to First Nations through Grants and Contributions programs is governed by strict terms and conditions to ensure transparency and accountability.
• First Nations must submit financial reports, they also provide reports on what results they have achieved.
• Together, these mechanisms, supported by audits and assessments, ensure public funds are managed soundly and deliver meaningful community outcomes. If pressed on Expenditures by Type
• The majority of transfer payments were used for advancing reconciliation by settling specific claims ($4.8 billion) and to support self-government agreements to address section 35 rights ($1.9 billion).
• Operating funds were needed for the settlement of Indigenous litigation, such as the Exercise of Crown Discretion – Whitesand ($1.8 bilion), Federal Indian Hospitals (Hardy) class action ($0.8 billion), Federal Boarding Home (Percival) Litigation ($0.5 billion) and the Federal Day Schools Settlement (McLean) ($0.5 billion).
• These financial resources were instrumental in supporting Indigenous reconciliation, self-determination and self-governance. If pressed on progress towards self-determination
• In 2024–25, CIRNAC supported 173 rights-based tables, resulting in 17 agreements and 6 preliminary-type agreements. A key milestone was the Red River Métis Self-Government Treaty, the first with a Métis government in Canada.
• The department extended 25 self-government funding agreements, supporting Indigenous control over priorities like health, housing, education, and economic development.
• These agreements promote social, cultural, political, and economic autonomy and well-being, and are vital in ensuring Indigenous Peoples have a voice in shaping their own future. If pressed on Contingent Liabilities
• Our Government is honoring its lawful obligations and advancing reconciliation by working to resolve claims through negotiations.
• We believe that negotiation over litigation is the best way to right historical wrongs and settle past grievances.
• CIRNAC remains committed to advancing the Indigenous Childhood Claims settlements that focus on balancing compensation with investments in healing, wellness, education, language, culture and commemoration and demonstrated through the implementation of the Federal Indian Day, Day Scholars, Boarding Homes and Hospitals. We will continue efforts to address the Calls to Action to redress the legacy of Indican Residential Schools.