Response to parliamentary committees and external audits

1. Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs (INAN)

The Committee tabled its Second report entitled "Barriers to Economic Development in Indigenous Communities" on April 25, 2022. The Government Response to this report was tabled on September 15, 2022.

CIRNAC has advanced a number of recommendations, including recommendations 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17. Specifically, the Government of Canada, in collaboration with First Nations partners has:

• Proposed Bill C-45, entitled An Act to amend the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and to make a clarification relating to another Act. This Bill includes amendments to establish the First Nations Infrastructure Institute as a fourth institution under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act. Amendments modernize and expand the mandates of the First Nations Tax Commission and the First Nations Financial Management Board to better reflect the increasing need for their services, including from self-governing First Nations and Indigenous organizations. The amendments included in Bill C-45 were co-developed with the First Nations Finance Authority, the First Nations Financial Management Board, First Nations Tax Commission, as well as the First Nations Infrastructure Institute's interim Development Board and Technical Working Group.
• In parallel, secured additional funding to support the establishment of the new First Nations Infrastructure Institute ($12.4 million over 3 years, starting in 2022–23) and enabled the First Nations Financial Management Board and the First Nations Tax Commission to undertake new activities and deliver enhanced services as part of their expanded mandates ($54.3 million over 5 years, starting 2022–23).
• The Government of Canada, through Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), worked with the Lands Advisory Board and its technical arm, the First Nation Land Management Resource Centre to co-develop legislation to replace the First Nations Land Management Act to correct inconsistencies and clarify the First Nations-led nature of the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management (Framework Agreement). This co-developed approach included the co-development of policy papers and policy objectives, and the sharing of consultation drafts of the proposed replacement legislation throughout the process. The co-developed legislation was supported by First Nations that are signatories to the Framework Agreement throughout the passage of resolutions during the Lands Advisory Board's annual general meetings in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, and through a special Chief's meeting in March 2022.
• On December 15, 2022, the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management Act (FAFNLMA) received Royal Assent through the Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act 2022. The FAFNLMA is seen as a positive and concrete step towards reconciliation by clearly pointing to the Framework Agreement as the central authority of First Nations Land Management. The legislation maintains ratification of the Framework Agreement. It provides the Framework Agreement with the force of law, removes duplicative and inconsistent language that was found between the Framework Agreement and the First Nations Land Management Act, simplifies the amendment process, and removes the schedules that formed part of the First Nations Land Management Act. CIRNAC will continue to collaborate with the Lands Advisory Board and the Resource Centre to advance the First Nations Land Management process.

2. Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples (APPA)

The Committee tabled its Sixth report entitled "Not Enough: All Words and No Action on MMIWG (PDF)"  on June 22, 2022. The Government Response (PDF) to this report was tabled on February 23, 2023.

In response to the recommendations made in the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples' interim report on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SGLBTQI+ people, the Government of Canada committed to the following:

1. enhancing reporting on the Calls for Justice
2. working to ensure the Calls for Justice are considered in the development and implementation of legislation, policies, programs, and services
3. developing recommendations for enhanced accountability and oversight
4. enhancing data and information to address the root causes of violence
5. improving partner, federal, and provincial collaboration
6. improving communications.

To this end, Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada took several actions to advance these commitments in 2022–23.

The Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report is a critical tool that the Government of Canada uses to communicate to families, survivors, Indigenous partners, leaders and communities, as well as the media and all Canadians, about the efforts underway in over 20 federal departments and agencies to advance the priorities outlined in the National Action Plan and respond to the National Inquiry's Calls for Justice. For example, several of the programs included in the 2022–23 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report, which work towards enhancing data and information to address the root causes of violence, continued to receive funding in the 2022–23 fiscal year.

In an effort to enhance its reporting on the Calls for Justice, the 2022–23 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report included a table in both the body of the report and the executive summary that detailed which Calls for Justice are linked to which Federal Pathway initiatives. To improve communications about the Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report, a series of communications activities were developed this year alongside the report to highlight tangible progress made over the fiscal year.

To improve communications more broadly, the Government of Canada has taken immediate steps to update its Web content with information on the federal initiatives underway and relevant links to additional information. This includes a searchable list of federal initiatives addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. In addition, the Government of Canada regularly engages with Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ organizations to strengthen relationships and discuss collaboration opportunities for announcements and aligning and amplifying messages.

In working towards ensuring that the Calls for Justice are considered in legislation, policies, programs, and services, in 2022–23, the MMIWG Secretariat coordinated and convened meetings with 32 federal departments and agencies to discuss MMIWG-relevant updates and initiatives. Specifically, as a way to improve partner, federal and provincial collaboration, the MMIWG Secretariat coordinated the first Roundtable of Indigenous Leaders and Representatives, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments on January 10, 2023. The Roundtable brought together more than 250 Indigenous women, survivors, family members and representatives from a wide cross section of Indigenous organizations with key Ministers from federal, provincial and territorial governments to have an initial national dialogue on MMIWG and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Lastly, to enhance oversight and accountability on the work the Government of Canada is doing to address missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, the MMIWG Secretariat has undertaken a two-part engagement on what an oversight mechanism, as outlined in Call for Justice 1.10, could look like. In 2022, the MMIWG Secretariat held a series of pre-engagement meetings with Indigenous partners to have initial conversations. Based, on the outcomes of the initial conversations, a report was produced to provide recommendations made by Indigenous partners for the oversight mechanism.

Response to audits conducted by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (including audits conducted by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

There were no audits in 2022–23 requiring a response.

Response to audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

There were no audits in 2022–23 requiring a response.