Question Period Note: Fall Economic Statement

• The investments made through the Fall Economic Statement further demonstrate Canada’s commitment to supporting Indigenous peoples through the pandemic and beyond.

• This includes investments of approximately $5.4 billion to support Indigenous peoples.

• Canada will continue to work with local leadership to ensure that needs are met and communities remain able to respond effectively to the pandemic.

• Ensuring that Indigenous communities and businesses are able to recover after the pandemic remains a key area of focus for Canada.

Approximately $5.4 billion was announced for ISC in the Fall Economic Statement, including:
• $631.6 million over two years starting in 2020-21 for the Public Health response to COVID-19;
• $1.8 billion over seven years starting in 2021-22 to support Community Infrastructure (this announcement is to unlock Budget 2017 funding);
• $25.9 million starting in 2020-21 to Co-develop Infrastructure Plans (Finance has recommended a two year profile awaiting Prime Minister decision);
• $1.5 billion starting in 2020-21 and $114.1 million ongoing to stabilize Water and Wastewater Infrastructure, including operational costs (the original ask was $7.9 billion over 11 years);
• $186.8 million over two years, starting in 2020-21 for Supportive Care Facilities;
• $332.8 million in 2021-22 to off-set declines in Own-Source Revenue;
• $15.6 million over two years starting in 2021-22 to support the Co-development of Health Legislation;
• $304.1 million over five years starting in 2021-22 with $96.6 million ongoing for a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy (the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development also received $420 million over 5 years as part of this initiative);
• $200.1 million over five years starting in 2021-22 and $0.3 million ongoing for Mercury Treatment centres.

Funding was also given for two off-cycles over six months that were submitted post-FES:
• $380 million for a third round of the Indigenous Community Support Fund in 2020-21; and,
• Public health funding included in the above public health funding total ($288 million).

ISC committed its support within the Fall Economic Statement to a number of other government department proposals. The following proposals were supported within the FES and seek to actively support Indigenous communities respond to COVID-19 and safely re-open their communities and economies:
• Employment and Social Development Canada:
o $70 million, and $15 million ongoing starting in 2021-22, for an Indigenous early learning and child care secretariat and building governance capacity for Indigenous Early Learning Childcare;
o They also announced $210 million in 2028-29 to support Indigenous early learning and child care programming, and
o $75 million in 2021-22 to improve quality and accessibility of Indigenous child care programming;
o $575 million over two years starting in 2021-22 for the broader Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, of which $80.1 million was provided for First Nation and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy; and
o $274.2 over two years for training supports including the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program.
• Public Safety:
o $28.6 million over five years for Community Justice centres;
o $250 million over five years for Anti-gang Programming;
o $238.5 million over six years with $50 million ongoing for the National Body worn Camera Program;
o $49.3 million for the Implementation of the Gladue Principles; and
o $8.1 million for the administration of justice agreements with Indigenous communities to strengthen community-based justice systems and support self-determination.
• $150 million over three years for Infrastructure Canada, starting in 2020-21 that will include support for Indigenous communities, municipalities, provinces and territories to improve ventilation in public buildings;
• $1 billion in funding through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation through the Rapid Housing Initiative which is available to Indigenous governing bodies and organizations alongside provinces and territories, municipalities, and non-profits;
• $2.6 billion over seven years for the Greener Homes Proposal of which there is an unknown Indigenous component;
• $94.4 million was allocated to Health Canada for the Health Human Resources. Please note that this amount is included in the Public Health amounts allocated for Indigenous peoples; and
• $20.4 million over five years, and $4.1 million ongoing for Personal Health Vaccines was allocated but not announced in the FES.

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