Federal government will remove funding cap on First Nations programs

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This article was published 08/12/2015 (3973 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GATINEAU – The federal government will eliminate a long-hated funding cap for First Nations programs in its first budget, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this morning at an annual gathering of chiefs in Gatineau, Que.

Trudeau was initially given a tepid welcome by chiefs and others in attendance, although the crowd perked up a bit when he started saying hello in several indigenous languages.

“I could keep going but there are 60 of them and we only have 20 minutes,” he said, drawing laughter.

Trudeau has pledged to renew the relationship with Indigenous Canadians and that includes nation-to-nation negotiations and new funding models.

The first piece of the latter is lifting a two per cent cap on annual increases to all First Nations funding programs that has been in place for almost two decades.

The crowd erupted in cheers when Trudeau told them the cap will be gone in the first Liberal budget.

“It’s time for a new fiscal relationship with First Nations,” Trudeau said.

The cap means funding for education, health care and other programs hasn’t kept up even with inflation.

The Assembly of First Nations has been asking for it to be removed for years. A senate committee recommended it last spring.

Among the first priorities for attention is investing in First Nations education, a commitment that drew a positive reaction from the crowd.

The biggest applause, and one of only two ovations Trudeau received, was saved for the announcement Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett’s first priority is to create an inquiry to investigate missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada.

The federal government will begin meeting with families of missing and murdered Indigenous women this week as it kicks off the first phase of an inquiry.

Bennett said the government will have two phases, with the first being a consultation section to set the terms of reference, discuss desired outcomes and possibly identify the commissioners to lead the inquiry.

Bennett put no timeline on it saying it will take as long as it takes.

The Liberals pledged $40 million over two years for the inquiry during the election but Bennett said those were just “placeholders in the platform” and the government is putting no real parameters around things at the moment.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde seems extremely happy with Trudeau as Prime Minister, saying it feels like “sunny ways” are floating in the air around him.

He also reminded delegates of the high turnout on First Nations in the election, noting six of them ran out of ballots.

And he said there are now 10 Indigenous MPs and two cabinet ministers.

“We need our people around the decision making tables,” Bellegarde said, drawing loud applause.