Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
Response to parliamentary committees
1) House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food – Report 10 – A Food Policy for Canada
The Report is a study on a first food policy for Canada which is being developed by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The goals of this policy are to produce safe, nutritious and affordable food in an environmentally friendly way. The Report heard testimony regarding four key themes: increasing access to affordable food; improving health and food safety; conserving our soil, water and air; and growing more high-quality food.
The Report mentions various Government of Canada programs including Nutrition North Canada. The Committee recommended that the Government implement measures to provide for an adequate supply of more affordable, safe, high-quality and nutritious food for Canadians, especially vulnerable populations in Canadian society, such as children, Canadians living in poverty, Indigenous peoples and those in remote and Northern communities (Recommendation 2). The Committee also recommended the Government "support the implementation of initiatives to combat food insecurity in Indigenous and northern communities by reviewing the Nutrition North Canada program" (Recommendation 3).In the Government Response to the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food Entitled: A Food Policy for Canada, the Government of Canada supported Recommendations 2 and 3. The Government of Canada noted in its Response that "the purpose of Nutrition North Canada is to help alleviate the high cost of shipping healthy food by air to isolated northern communities, and includes activities to encourage nutritious eating" and that "the objective of the Nutrition North Canada Program is to help make perishable, nutritious food more accessible and more affordable than it otherwise would be to residents of eligible isolated northern communities without year round surface (road, rail or marine) access." As such, Nutrition North Canada is not a response to food security issues.
On May 30, 2016, the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs and the Minister of Health announced a public engagement process intended to canvass the views of Northerners, Indigenous Organizations, and other partners on how to further improve the Nutrition North Canada program so it works better for Northerners in a more cost-effective manner. Concluded on December 9, 2016, the public engagement process included community meetings, stakeholder interviews and surveys, and written submissions. Following the public engagement process, a "What We Heard Report" was developed and posted on the program website, which compiles all of the key findings. A stakeholder meeting was held in May 2017 with representatives from 14 national and regional Indigenous Organizations. The meeting marked the launch of an Indigenous Working Group which has been co-developing options to make the program more meaningful and relevant to Northerners, while keeping it on a sustainable path.
In its response to the Report, the Government of Canada also noted that "food security is a complex issue shaped by diverse factors, and no single government or organization has the mandate, resources, and capacity to address it alone". As such, the Government of Canada is committed to working with all partners, including provinces and territories, to address northern food security.
Related information can be found in the 2016-17 Departmental Results Report, in the following sections:
- Minister's Message
- Results at a Glance
- Program 4.1 Northern Governance and People:
- Supplementary Tables
2) House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Person with Disabilities – Report 7 – Breaking the Cycle: A Study on Poverty Reduction.
The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities conducted a study of poverty reduction strategies in Canada, organized into four areas: federal income support and savings programs; the promotion of employment, education and training; housing support; and broader community initiatives.
The Report mentions various Government of Canada programs including Nutrition North Canada. The committee recommended that Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, in collaboration with Indigenous and northern communities, develop and implement a system of food security programs to complement or enhance Nutrition North. These programs must address, comprehensively, the extremely high cost of nutritious foods in remote, northern and Indigenous communities. The Department must also recognize the importance of traditional ‘'country foods'' and encourage community initiatives that support local harvesting and production (Recommendation 5).
The Government of Canada's response says that the Committee's findings and recommendations will help guide work to develop the Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy. The response does not address any specific recommendations found in the report.
3) House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs – Indigenous Land Rights: Towards Respect and Implementation
The parliamentary committee report was tabled in the House of Commons on March 19, 2018. The committee undertook a study on specific claims, comprehensive land claims and self-government agreements. The Government Response is being developed.
4) House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs – Default Prevention and Management 2017
The parliamentary committee report was tabled in the House of Commons on May 29, 2017. The committee understood a study to examine key issues affecting financial management in First Nations communities, the federal programs to support financial management, the effectiveness of the current policy framework, and possible alternatives to the policy. The Government Response was tabled on September 26, 2017.
5) Standing Senate Committee on Aboriginal Peoples – We Can Do Better: Housing in Inuit Nunangat
The parliamentary committee report was tabled in the Senate on March 1, 2017. The committee undertook a study on best practices and on-going challenges relating to housing in First Nation and Inuit communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Northwest Territories. The Government Response was tabled on July 19, 2017.
Response to audits conducted by the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts – Report 1, Managing the Risk of Fraud, from the 2017 Spring Reports of the Auditor General of Canada
The parliamentary committee report was tabled in the House of Commons on December 13, 2017.
The Auditor General examined whether the selected organizations had fraud risk governance processes in place and whether the organizations conducted periodic assessments of their fraud risks, as well as whether the assessments included the best practices for fraud risk assessments recommended by audit and accounting organizations. The Government Response was tabled on April 16, 2018.
House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts – Report 6, First Nations Specific Claims, of the Fall 2016 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada
The parliamentary committee report was tabled in the House of Commons on May 2, 2017.
The Auditor General examined whether the Department adequately managed the resolution of First Nations specific claims. The Government Response was tabled on August 16, 2017.
Report 2 – Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change (Fall 2017)
The Auditor General focused on the extent to which federal organizations had made progress in adapting to climate change. The audit examined federal leadership efforts and whether departments and agencies implemented the Federal Adaptation Policy Framework. The framework states that all federal departments and agencies must take action and consider climate change impacts in their programs, policies, and operations. There were no recommendations for CIRNAC.
Report 1 – Managing the Risk of Fraud (Spring 2017)
The Auditor General focused on fraud risk management in five federal organizations. The audit examined whether the organizations had mechanisms in place to appropriately manage the risk of fraud. Specifically, the audit focused on: governance processes to direct, evaluate, and monitor fraud risks; assessment approaches to identify fraud risks and mitigating actions; controls (policies, procedures, processes, and activities) to address specific fraud risks; and activities to investigate and manage allegations of fraud. Six recommendations were directed to CIRNAC.
Report 2 – Canada's Preparedness to Implement the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (Spring 2018)
The Auditor General focused on whether the Government of Canada was prepared to implement the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The audit included seven organizations. One recommendation was directed to CIRNAC.
INAC Financial Statements for the Year Ended March 31, 2017 (Unaudited)
Responsibility for the integrity and objectivity of the accompanying financial statements for the year, ended March 31, 2016, and all information contained in these statements rests with the management of INAC. These financial statements have been prepared by management using the Government's accounting policies, which are based on Canadian public sector accounting standards.
Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Public Service Commission of Canada – Not applicable.
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages – Not applicable.