Indigenous Services won’t say if feds are on track to meet 2030 infrastructure pledge – CBC

Nov 06, 2023

Minister’s office stands by target but her department, citing $349B estimate, seems less sure

Canada’s Indigenous Services minister is standing by the Trudeau government’s pledge to close the infrastructure gap in Indigenous communities by 2030, even as her own department — citing a nearly $350-billion cost estimate — seems a little less sure.

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) refuses to say whether it believes the government is on track to meet this mandate, which was assigned to Patty Hajdu when she became ISC minister in 2021, after being asked directly in an order paper question.

“The Government of Canada knows there is more work to do,” reads the Sept. 18 answer, in part.

“ISC will continue to work directly with First Nations, First Nations organizations and other federal organizations to identify what further measures and investments may be required to close the infrastructure gap by 2030.”

Order paper questions allow parliamentarians to get written answers from the government outside of Ottawa’s daily question period. This one was provided to the NDP’s Niki Ashton, the MP for Churchill-Keewatinook Aski.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-services-infrastructure-2030-1.7018012