Parliamentary Committee Notes: 2024-2025 Supplementary Estimates B Indigenous Secretariat
Proposed Response
- Everyone has a right to feel safe in their communities, and the Government of Canada is committed to working with provinces and territories of jurisdiction to support improved policing and community safety outcomes in First Nations and Inuit communities.
- Through Budget 2024, our Government has expanded our investments in First Nations and Inuit police services. New program funding remains subject to a 52% federal – 48% provincial-territorial cost-sharing ratio and includes:
- $267.5 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, with $92.5 million per year ongoing, for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program (FNIPP) and to support the work of Public Safety Canada’s Indigenous Secretariat; and,
- $200 million over five years, starting in 2024-25, for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Facilities Program (FNIPFP) to repair, renovate and replace policing facilities in First Nations and Inuit communities.
- The new resources will ensure that the Department has the capacity to implement effectively the ongoing FNIPP program improvement efforts that follow the Auditor General of Canada's March 2024 audit report.
Financial Implications
- This Supplementary Estimates B proposal is seeking to access a total of $3.8 million in Vote 1 operating expenditures for this fiscal year. This represents the first draw down of $17.5M in operating funding over five years earmarked for the support and expansion of the Department's Indigenous Secretariat.
Background
The FNIPP is a contribution program that provides funding to support the provision of policing services to First Nation and Inuit communities across Canada. FNIPP policing agreements are cost-shared between the federal government (52%) and the Provincial/Territorial government (48%). The FNIPP supports roughly 450 First Nations and Inuit communities, roughly 65% of all Indigenous communities in Canada.
In March 2024, the Auditor General of Canada released its third report on the FNIPP. It found that Public Safety Canada poorly managed the program, did not consistently engage and work in partnership with Indigenous communities, and lacked adequate measures to support program funding decisions and to measure program effectiveness.
In response, Public Safety Canada has committed to develop and implement a program improvement plan for FNIPP, in collaboration with provinces and territories (PTs) of jurisdiction, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and First Nation and Inuit partners. To support these efforts, Public Safety Canada is seeking to access the first year of Budget 2024’s overall investment of $17.5 million starting in 2024-25 to support and expand the Department’s Indigenous Secretariat.
These resources will support the stabilization and expansion of the Indigenous Secretariat and dedicated internal services, which will help ensure that Public Safety Canada has the capacity to effectively implement FNIPP program improvement efforts. The planned approach also responds to an increasingly complex litigation environment and the need for the Indigenous Secretariat to maintain extensive collaborative relationships with PT partners and other federal departments.
Public Safety Canada will seek to access the remainder of Budget 2024’s investment profile through a subsequent Treasury Board submission that provides a detailed overview of its program improvement plan for FNIPP.
Financial Implications
On a cash and accrual basis, Public Safety is seeking access to $3.8 million in 2024-25.
To date, funding has been reallocated internally to support the creation of the Indigenous Secretariat though these new funds from Budget 2024 to create stability, and in turn, reinforce program delivery to help mitigate legal risks.
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