Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Bulletin – Federal Budget 2024, Fairness for Every Generation

Press Release

May 16, 2024

The Assembly of First Nations issues regular updates on work underway at the national office.

More information can be found at www.afn.ca.

Summary:

• On April 16, 2024, the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, delivered Budget 2024, titled “Fairness for Every Generation.”
• Budget 2024 commits a total of approximately $9.062 billion over 5 years, with $2.952 billion identified for the fiscal year 2024–25 as part of new spending priorities.
• This allocation marks an increase from Budget 2023 of $4.1 billion over five years, though it includes repackaged commitments and partial renewals.
• Despite this increase, Budget 2024 has several gaps, including the lack of new funding for initiatives crucial to First Nations, such as land rights, specific claims, additions to reserves, and water management, including drinking water and wastewater treatment. Budget 2024 also fails to address the implementation of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice and First Nations-led coordination on UNDA implementation.
• Key allocations include: $1.8 billion over 11 years to support First Nations exercising jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families; $91 million over two years to document, locate, and memorialize burial sites at former residential schools; and $87 million over five years for Indigenous justice programming.
• The budget also commits $267.5 million over five years for First Nations policing. This will partially meet ongoing needs, along with a $200 million investment for renovating policing facilities through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program.
• However, only $918 million is allocated over five years for Indigenous housing and infrastructure. This is significantly less than the over $349 billion needed to close the infrastructure gap by 2030, and much of the money is not dedicated to First Nations.
• For education and languages, the budget provides $649.4 million over two years for on-reserve education, $545.1 million over three years for K-12 infrastructure, and substantial funding for post-secondary education and Indigenous languages and cultures programs.

On April 16, 2024, the Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, delivered the 2024 Federal Budget, titled “Fairness for Every Generation.” This budget allocates a total of approximately $9.062 billion over five years. For the fiscal year 2024–25, $2.952 billion was identified as part of new spending priorities. This budget provides an average allocation of $1.8 billion per year.

However, the $9.1 billion figure is not entirely new funding. It includes repackaged prior commitments, partial program renewals, and replacements for several essential programs that expired.

The current budget falls short in meeting the urgent and long-term needs identified by First Nations. It lacks new investments in critical areas such as land rights, specific claims, additions to reserves, and water management. Without these investments First Nations will struggle to advance their rights and interests in land, water, environmental health, conservation, and biodiversity.

The budget also neglects crucial initiatives like the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Calls for Justice implementation, First Nations-led coordination on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) implementation, and adequate funding for digital connectivity infrastructure, which would allow First Nations to integrate themselves into the modern global economy.

While maintaining existing programs is beneficial, this does not represent progress towards equality and reconciliation. Long-term, dedicated investments are critical to support First Nations. This budget covers only a small fraction of the necessary investments required to close the gap and affirm First Nations’ Inherent and Treaty rights, title, and jurisdiction.

The AFN will continue to advocate for consistent and sustained investments to close the gap, as well as begin identifying First Nations priorities in advance of the 2025 federal budget and conduct further research and analysis to develop supporting rationale for funding requirements.

The AFN participated in the pre-budget submission process and outlined specific asks in a number of priority areas, aiming to address urgent and long-term needs and funding requirements, as identified by First Nations. Read more here: 2024 AFN Pre-Budget Submission.

Indigenous Investments

Child and Family Services

Federal Budget 2024 commits $1.8 billion over 11 years, starting in 2023–24 to support communities in exercising jurisdiction under An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth, and families.

Rights and Justice

While no investments for UNDA implementation or the MMIWG Calls for Justice were made, the pre-announced investment to search the Prairie Green Landfill is welcome. Additionally, the budget commits to continue to develop and implement the Indigenous Justice Strategy, a positive step given the increase in overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the last decade.

Federal Budget 2024 commits:

• $91 million over 2 years starting in 2024–25 to Crown Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) to increase support for communities to document, locate, and memorialize burial sites at former residential schools.
• $5 million over 3 years starting in 2025–26 to CIRNAC to establish a program to combat Residential School denialism.
• Red Dress Alert: $1.3 million over three years to co-develop a regional Red Dress Alert system to keep Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples safe.
• Indigenous Justice Strategy: $87 million over 5 years and $11.3 million ongoing to the Department of Justice for Indigenous justice programming, including:
  • $56.4 million over five years and $11.3 million per year ongoing for the Indigenous Justice Program and the Indigenous Courtwork Program.
  • $5.5 million over three years to continue work to revitalize Indigenous laws and legal systems; and,
  • $25.1 million over three years to renew funding for capacity building and engagement throughout the development and initial implementation of the Indigenous Justice Strategy.

Policing

The investments into policing are welcome, but systemic changes to the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program are required. Without legislation that recognizes First Nations jurisdiction over policing, First Nations will continue to face barriers to access policing, putting their communities at risk. The current system is not working. In their March 2024 report, the Auditor General of Canada stated that Public Safety Canada is mismanaging the self-administered part of the program and fails to allocate all available funding to First Nations.

Federal Budget 2024 commits:

• $267.5 million over 5 years and $92.5 million per year ongoing to Public Safety Canada for the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program and to support the work of Public Safety Canada’s Indigenous Secretariat.
• $200 million over 5 years to repair, renovate and replace policing facilities in First Nations and Inuit communities.

Housing and Infrastructure

According to a recent report by the AFN entitled “Closing the Infrastructure Gap,” over $349 billion is required to meet the government’s commitment to close the infrastructure gap by 2030. However, for Indigenous housing and infrastructure, the 2024 budget only allocates $918 million over five years starting in 2024–25, with $426 million designated for First Nations on reserve. This allocation represents less than 1% of the needed funds. The Auditor General recently described Canada’s approach to addressing First Nations housing needs as a “distressing and persistent pattern of failure,” emphasizing severe gaps in both funding allocation and program implementation.

The introduction of the Indigenous Loan Guarantee is a welcome development. However, it primarily reduces the equity requirement for borrowers, while failing to address the fundamental barriers that First Nations face in accessing capital and leveraging collateral comparable with non-Indigenous competitors. Additionally, it appears that individual First Nations entrepreneurs or partnerships may not benefit from this program due to systemic application issues.

Federal Budget 2024 commits:

• $918 million over 5 years starting in 2024–25 to Indigenous Services Canada and CIRNAC to accelerate work in narrowing First Nations, Inuit, and Métis housing and infrastructure gaps. This includes:
  • $426 million for First Nations on-reserve.
  • $62 million for Self-Governing and Modern Treaty First Nations.
• Indigenous Load Guarantee Program, which provides up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to enhance access to capital for Indigenous communities, creating economic opportunities and supporting their economic development priorities.

Education and Languages

The partial renewal of several key programs is welcome. However, these investments only stabilize funding that First Nations learners depend on, rather than fully addressing actual need. This shortfall will likely widen gaps in educational infrastructure and program access.

Federal Budget 2024 commits:

• $649.4 million over two years to improve elementary and secondary education on reserve and to ensure funding formulas meet the needs of growing communities.
• $545.1 million over three years for K-12 infrastructure to build and renovate safe and healthy learning environments for First Nations students.
• $242.7 million over three years to increase access to post-secondary education for First Nations students through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program.
• $225 million over five years and $45 million ongoing to Canadian Heritage for Indigenous languages and cultures programs, in support of the Indigenous Languages Act.
• $592.2 million over five years to provide income support on reserve and expand programming to meet demand.
• $117.6 million over five years for case management and pre-employment support to increase access to good job opportunities.
• $213.5 million over five years and $49.8 million ongoing to implement income support for eligible persons with disabilities aligned with those provided in all provinces and Yukon.

Read the Chart on Budget 2024 – New Funding and Policy Commitments.

For updates, please follow @AFN_Updates or visit www.afn.ca. For more information, please contact:

Genna Benson
Director, Communications
Assembly of First Nations
604-340-3117 (mobile)
gbenson@afn.ca

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