Indigenous Services won't say if feds are on track to meet 2030 infrastructure pledge

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.

Her query was limited to the infrastructure gap in First Nations communities, and asked how Ottawa measures the existing gap, what the current estimate of it is, and if the government feels it's on pace to bridge it by 2030, as promised.

She saw the answer as a tacit admission.

"I'm glad their answer wasn't, 'Yes,'" Ashton said.

"I'm glad they're being honest that they're not on track, and that to me is what that answer says — that they aren't on track."

According to the answer, ISC is able to measure progress by assessing the conditions of housing, public water systems, education and health facilities, and other unspecified government-funded assets, but can't unequivocally state how big the on-reserve infrastructure gap is, as the department is awaiting input directly from First Nations.

The government "expects that a comprehensive estimate of First Nations' infrastructure needs should be available in fall of 2023," the answer says.

Ashton, whose riding includes northern Manitoba First Nations with urgent infrastructure needs, said that's unacceptable.

"The federal government should know better than anyone the glaring infrastructure needs in communities."

In the meantime, the order paper answer says Indigenous Services and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) have co-developed a comprehensive report, estimating it would cost $349.2 billion to close the infrastructure gap in First Nations by 2030.