Question Period Note: Budget 2021

• In light of important lessons learned over the last year, Canada is investing in:

• Finishing the Fight Against COVID-19;
• Creating Jobs and Growth; and,
• A Resilient and Inclusive Recovery.

• Building on recent significant investments, Budget 2021 proposes more than $18 billion in investments to further narrow gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, support healthy, safe, and prosperous Indigenous communities, and advance meaningful reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation.

• Over $15 billion of this investment targets services provided to Indigenous peoples.

Proposed Indigenous investments as outlined in the Budget 2021 text include:

Supporting Indigenous Communities in the Fight Against COVID-19

Budget 2021 proposes to provide an additional $1.2 billion in 2021-22 to continue supporting the COVID-19 response in Indigenous communities as follows:

• $478.1 million on a cash basis to continue to support the ongoing public health response to COVID-19 in Indigenous communities, including support to hire nurses, help at-risk people to isolate, and distribute personal protective equipment.
• An additional $760.8 million for the Indigenous Community Support Fund to help First Nations, Inuit, Métis Nation communities, and urban and off-reserve Indigenous organizations serving Indigenous peoples meet the unique needs of their populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will provide funding to: prevent the spread of COVID-19; support elders and vulnerable community members; provide mental health assistance and emergency response services; address food insecurity; and support
children.

Improving Health Outcomes in Indigenous Communities

Budget 2021 proposes to invest $1.4 billion over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $40.6 million ongoing, to maintain essential health care services for First Nations and Inuit, continue work to transform First Nations health systems, and respond to the health impacts of climate change, including:

• $774.6 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to ensure continued high-quality care through the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program, which supports First Nations and Inuit people with medically necessary services not otherwise covered, such as mental health services, medical travel, medications, and more.
• $354 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to increase the number of nurses and other medical professionals in remote and isolated First Nations communities.
• $107.1 million over three years, beginning in 2021-22, to continue efforts to transform how health care services are designed and delivered by First Nations communities, building on the government’s commitment to improve access to high-quality and culturally relevant health care for Indigenous peoples.
• $125.2 million over four years, beginning in 2022-23, to continue to support First Nations communities’ reliable access to clean water and help ensure the safe delivery of health and social services on reserve.
• $22.7 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to support First Nations and Inuit as they manage the health impacts of climate change, such as access to country food, impacts of extreme weather events, and mental health impacts of climate change on youth.

Distinctions-Based Mental Wellness Strategy

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $597.6 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, for a distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategy with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis Nation. The strategy will renew funding for the Indian Residential Schools Health Supports Program and Crisis Line, which provide healing supports for survivors of childhood trauma and residential schools. It will also stabilize and expand community-based supports and capacity, increase substance use treatment and prevention, and support workforce development.

Supporting Indigenous Children and Families

To support this important work, Budget 2021 proposes to provide $1 billion over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $118.7 million ongoing to increase funding under the First Nations Child and Family Services Program. Proposed funding would:

• Provide increased support to First Nations communities not served by a delegated First Nation agency for prevention activities to help First Nations children and families stay together, within their communities through the Community Well-being and Jurisdiction Initiative;
• Continue to implement orders from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal; and
• Permanently ensure that First Nations youth who reach the age of majority receive the supports that they need, for up to two additional years, to successfully transition to independence; and,
• Also provides $73.6 million over four years, starting in 2021-22, to support the implementation of the Act.

These investments and the implementation of the Act will help realize the shared goals of prioritizing the best interests of children, increasing the number of communities exercising jurisdiction in relation to child and family services, and decreasing the number of children in care

Providing High-quality Education

Budget 2021 proposes to invest $1.2 billion over five years, and $181.8 million ongoing, including:

• $112 million in 2021-22 to extend COVID-19 support so children on reserve can continue to attend school safely, including PPE for students and staff, laptops to support online learning, and more teachers and other critical staff.
• $726 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, and $181.8 million ongoing, to enhance funding formulas in critical areas such as student transportation; ensure funding for First Nations schools remains predictable from year to year; and increase First Nations control over First Nations education by concluding more Regional Education Agreements.
• $350 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to expand access to adult education by supporting First Nations people on reserve who wish to return to high school in their communities and complete their high school education.

Supporting Indigenous Post-secondary Education During COVID-19

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $150.6 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to support Indigenous students through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program and the Inuit and Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategies. Many students are facing financial difficulty during the pandemic, as young people have suffered some of the worst job losses. This support would help offset lost income that many Indigenous students rely on to pay for tuition, books, housing, and other living expenses. The federal government knows that young people need support to get through this crisis so they can complete their education and succeed in their chosen fields.
• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $26.4 million, in 2021-22, through the Post-Secondary Partnerships Program and the Inuit and Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategies to support Indigenous postsecondary institutions during COVID-19.

On-reserve Income Assistance

Budget 2021 proposes to invest $618.4 million over two years, while work continues, including:

• $540 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to continue to address basic needs and increased program demand, including as a result of COVID-19
• $78.4 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to continue providing case management and support to help people find work.

Indigenous Infrastructure

Budget 2021 proposes distinctions-based investments of $6.0 billion over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $388.9 million ongoing, to support infrastructure in Indigenous communities, including:

• $4.3 billion over four years, starting in 2021-22, for the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund, a distinctions-based fund to support immediate demands, as prioritized by Indigenous partners, with shovel- ready infrastructure projects in First Nations, including with modern- treaty and self-governing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.
• $1.7 billion over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $388.9 million ongoing, to cover the operations and maintenance costs of community infrastructure in First Nations communities on reserve.

Supporting Indigenous Economies

To ensure the long-term resilience of Indigenous economies, Budget 2021 proposes to provide:

• $117 million in 2021-22 to renew the Indigenous Community Business Fund. This will ensure First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities can continue to provide services and support jobs for their members through collectively owned businesses and microbusinesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• $33.4 million in 2021-22 to support the First Nations Finance Authority pooled borrowing regime as follows:

• $32.5 million to establish a First Nations Finance Authority Emergency Fund to provide repayable financial support for borrowing members encountering difficulties due to COVID-19 or future widespread economic shocks.
• $925,000 to support the First Nations Finance Authority launch of the Commercial Paper Program that will lower interest rates for First Nation borrowers so they can secure more manageable funding.

Support for Indigenous Entrepreneurs

• Budget 2021 proposes to invest $42 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to expand the Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program. This will directly support Indigenous-led businesses and help Indigenous communities generate wealth by improving access to capital and business opportunities.
• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $2.4 million in 2021-22 to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada to help the Indigenous tourism industry rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
• Budget 2021 proposes to invest $22 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association’s (NACCA) Indigenous Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative by providing tools, services, and resources to increase the number of Indigenous women entrepreneurs. This funding would support NACCA in achieving its target of increasing the number of Indigenous women entrepreneurs who access financing through Aboriginal Financial Institutions by 50 per cent.

Securing Capital for Community Investments

• Budget 2021 announces the Government of Canada’s intention to amend legislation and regulations to expand the types of revenues that First Nations may use to support borrowing from the First Nations Finance Authority, specifically to include revenues from the First Nations Goods and Services Tax and the First Nations Sales Tax.

Redesigning the Additions to Reserve Policy

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $43 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to work with Indigenous partners and other stakeholders to redesign the federal Additions to Reserve policy and to accelerate work on existing requests from First Nations across the country.

Responding to the Tragedy of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

• Budget 2021 proposes to invest an additional $2.2 billion over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $160.9 million ongoing, to help build a safer, stronger, and more inclusive society.
• Culture

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $275 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $2 million ongoing to Canadian Heritage, to support the efforts of Indigenous peoples in the reclamation, revitalization, and strengthening of Indigenous languages as a foundation for culture, identity, and belonging. This funding will support various initiatives such as languages and culture camps, mentor-apprentice programs and the development of Indigenous languages resources and documentation.
• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $14.9 million over four years, beginning in 2021-22, to support the preservation of Indigenous heritage through Library and Archives Canada. This will ensure that Indigenous women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, and all people in Canada have meaningful access to their cultures and languages.
•Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $108.8 million over two years, beginning in 2021-22, to reestablish and revitalize Indigenous cultural spaces. Having a dedicated, permanent space to share culture is a key component of building strong Indigenous identities. Establishing cultural spaces that are inclusive of Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people will help ensure they have a seat at the decision-making table. This proposal responds to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which calls for all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people to be provided with safe, no- barrier, permanent, and meaningful access to their cultures and language.

• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $40.1 million over three years, beginning in 2021-22, to Canadian Heritage to support the Indigenous Screen Office and ensure Indigenous peoples can tell their own stories and see themselves reflected on-screen.

• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $14.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $2.9 million ongoing, to ensure that Indigenous women and girls have access to meaningful sports activities through the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program.

• Health and Wellness

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $126.7 million over three years, beginning in 2021-22, to take action to foster health systems free from racism and discrimination where Indigenous peoples are respected and safe. This funding will support patient advocates, health system navigators, and cultural safety training for medical professionals.
• Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $12.5 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $2.5 million ongoing, to support the well-being of families and survivors through project-based programming in collaboration with the National Family and Survivors Circle.

• Human Security and Safety

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $861 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $145 million ongoing, to support culturally responsive policing and community safety services in Indigenous communities. This includes:

• $43.7 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing that recognizes First Nations policing as an essential service.
• $540.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $126.8 million ongoing, to support Indigenous communities currently served under the First Nations Policing Program and expand the program to new Indigenous communities.
• $108.6 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to repair, renovate, and replace policing facilities in First Nation and Inuit communities.
• $64.6 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $18.1 million ongoing, to enhance Indigenous-led crime prevention strategies and community safety services.
• $103.8 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, for a new Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative to support Indigenous communities to develop more holistic community-based safety and wellness models.
• A new National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, including $55 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, for the Department for Women and Gender Equality to bolster the capacity of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations to provide gender-based violence prevention programming aimed at addressing the root causes of violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.
• Justice

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $74.8 million over three years, beginning in 2021-22, to improve access to justice for Indigenous people and support the development of an Indigenous justice strategy to address systemic discrimination and the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the justice system. This includes:

• $27.1 million to Justice Canada to help Indigenous families navigate the family justice system and access community-based family mediation services.
• $24.2 million to Justice Canada to support engagement with Indigenous communities and organizations on the development of legislation and initiatives that address systemic barriers in the criminal justice system, including collaboration on an Indigenous justice strategy.
• $23.5 million to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada to support victims of violence by increasing prosecutorial capacity in the territories.

• Working with Partners

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $36.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, and $8.6 million ongoing to Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, to enhance support for Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations, ensuring that the voices and perspectives of Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are reflected in all aspects of decision-making that impacts their lives. This proposal responds directly to the MMIWG Call for Justice 1.8, which calls upon governments to provide core and sustainable funding to national, regional, and local Indigenous women’s and 2SLGBTQQIA+ organizations.
o Budget 2021 also proposes to provide $20.3 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, to work with Indigenous partners to ensure that appropriate monitoring mechanisms are in place to measure progress and to keep the government accountable, now and in the future.

Implementation of Legislation on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $31.5 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to support the co-development of an Action Plan with Indigenous partners to implement this legislation and to achieve the objectives of the Declaration. This process will support Indigenous self-determination and enhance nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationships.

Escalating 10-Year Grant Funding

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $2.7 billion over 10 years, starting in 2021-22, to ensure that funding for core programs and services provided through the 10-year grants addresses key cost drivers. Escalation will be based on inflation and the population of each community, but a minimum of 2 per cent annual growth will be provided to ensure that First Nations within the grant receive stable and predictable funding. This will strengthen communities’ ability to design and deliver services in a manner that reflects community priorities.

Supporting Indigenous Governance and Capacity

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $104.8 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to support the administrative capacity of First Nations governments and other organizations that deliver critical programs and services.
• Budget 2021 also proposes to invest $151.4 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to provide wrap-around supports for First Nations with the greatest community development needs.

Advancing Specific Claims Settlements

• The specific claims process helps right past wrongs and address First Nations’ long-standing grievances through negotiated settlements. Canada is continuing to consult in order to co-develop program reforms. To provide timely payment of negotiated settlements of specific claims, while this work continues, Budget 2021 will replenish the Specific Claims Settlement Fund in 2022-23.

Commemorating the Legacy of Residential Schools

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $13.4 million over five years, with $2.4 million ongoing, to Canadian Heritage for events to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, and to honour survivors, their families and communities, as well as to support celebrations and commemoration events during the proposed National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Support for Indigenous-led Data Strategies

• Budget 2021 proposes to invest $73.5 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to continue work towards the development and implementation of a First Nations Data Governance Strategy.
• Budget 2021 proposes to invest $8 million over three years, starting in 2021-22, to support Inuit and Métis baseline data capacity and the development of distinctions-based Inuit and Métis Nation data strategies.

Engagement with Indigenous Peoples

• Budget 2021 proposes to provide $50 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, and $10 million ongoing, to renew and make permanent dedicated consultation and policy development funding.

Supporting Self-determination Through Tax Agreements

• Budget 2021 announces the Government of Canada’s intention to engage with interested Indigenous governments and organizations on a framework for the negotiation of agreements that would enable interested Indigenous governments to implement a fuel, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis sales tax within their reserves or settlement lands.

If pressed on COVID Response

• Budget 2021 continues to support communities responding to COVID-19:

• $478.1 million for the public health response;

• An additional $760.8 million for the Indigenous Community Support Fund and $117 million for the Indigenous Community Business Fund;

• $150.6 million over two years, for the Post-Secondary Student Support Program and the Inuit and Métis Nation Post-Secondary Education Strategy;

• $112 million in 2021-22 to extend support for children on reserve to attend school safely; and,

• $33.4 million for small and medium enterprises.

If pressed on Anti-Indigenous Racism

• Incidences of mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in healthcare and policing are unacceptable and will not be ignored.

• This budget proposes to invest $126.7 million over three years to support initiatives to address anti-Indigenous racism in Canadian healthcare. This funding will support patient advocates, health system navigators, and cultural safety training for medical professionals.

• Additionally, $103.8 million over five years is proposed to enhance safety in Indigenous communities through the development of more holistic alternatives that support Indigenous visions of community safety and wellness models.

If pressed on Mental Wellness

• The mental health of Indigenous peoples across Canada is of the utmost importance to the Government of Canada.

• Building on recent significant annual investments of $425M through the Mental Wellness program, Budget 2021 proposes a further $597.6 million over 3 years to implement a comprehensive, distinctions-based, Indigenous-led approach to mental wellness.

• The strategy will renew funding for the Indian Residential Schools Health Supports Program and Crisis Line, stabilizes and expands community-based supports and capacity, increases substance use treatment and prevention, and supports workforce development.

If pressed on Economic Prosperity

• For Indigenous Peoples ‘Building back better’ requires more than a return to normal. For that reason, Canada is working to enhance economic resilience and prosperity through:

• $6 billion over 5 years, with $388.9 million ongoing, to support infrastructure in Indigenous communities;

• $64 million over three years for Aboriginal Entrepreneurship; and,

• $36 million over three years to build capacity for local, economically-sustainable clean energy projects in First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities and support economic development opportunities.

If pressed on Infrastructure

• Continuing to make the necessary investments to close gaps and reduce inequalities in fundamental community infrastructure must not be postponed, even in the current fiscal context.

• $4.3 billion over four years, starting in 2021-22, for the Indigenous Community Infrastructure Fund, a distinctions-based fund to support immediate demands, as prioritized by Indigenous partners.

• $1.7 billion over five years, starting in 2021-22, with $388.9 million ongoing, to cover the operations and maintenance costs of community infrastructure in First Nation communities on reserve.

If pressed on Health Care

• Canada is continuing to address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous communities during the pandemic by investing:

• $354 million over five years to increase the number of nurses and other medical professionals in remote and isolated First Nation communities.

• $107.1 million over three years to continue efforts to transform how health care services are designed and delivered by First Nation communities.

• $81.5 million over three years to continue work towards the development and implementation of a Distinctions-based Data Strategies.