The federal Liberal government is pledging $8.7 million to hold more consultation on Indigenous resource sharing, a Budget It offers relatively little new spending on its reconciliation agenda.
Finance Minister chrystia freeland Introduced a spending plan that prioritizes Canada’s transition to a green economy, offering billions in new tax credits as well as health care and affordability.
Reconciliation with indigenous peoples remains a key priority for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, with billions of announcements made over the past year, including at the start of his first mandate.
Prominent Indigenous organizations, including the Assembly of First Nations, have told the federal government that billions are needed to meet current and future infrastructure needs such as housing.
The budget reveals Ottawa plans to invest $4 billion over seven years into an urban, rural and northern Indigenous housing strategy starting in 2024-25, but that is still under development.
The federal government has committed $8.7 million in the coming fiscal year to Natural Resources Canada to consult with Indigenous partners on developing a framework to give communities access to more resource dollars from projects built in their territories.
This will fulfill the commitment made in last fall’s economic statement.
The Trudeau government has focused more on self-determination in recent years to support Indigenous communities, the tone of which is reflected in Tuesday’s budget.
It also committed $30 million over the next five years to Indigenous Service Canada to improve reserve lands and environmental management programs to ensure that “First Nations are able to use their lands, resources and environment with increased responsibility.” can develop the ability to.
Another $5 million was promised in the coming fiscal year for the department to participate in developing a framework for economic reconciliation in hopes of boosting economic opportunities for Indigenous people and businesses.
The government pledged in February to inject $2 billion into an “Indigenous Health Equity Fund” over the next decade.
In addition, it pledged to spend approximately $16 million over three years on efforts to reduce tuberculosis rates in Inuit communities. Ahead of Tuesday’s budget release, Inuit Tapirit Kanatami, a national organization representing Inuit communities, requested nearly $131 million over seven years for the issue.
The federal government also pledged to spend $2.5 million to advance an action plan to implement the 2019 recommendations of the national inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, under its supply and trust mandate for the federal New Democrats in their reconciliation Fulfilled one of the related promises. Arrangement
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