Indigenous and Northern Affairs

The committee studied public safety in First Nations and Inuit communities. The Minister of Public Safety, Hon. Gary Anandasangaree, appeared alongside officials from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

Senior Deputy Commissioner Bryan Larkin of the RCMP reported that 6.5% of RCMP regular members are Indigenous, with 405 Indigenous applicants this fiscal year and 37 graduates from depot. He noted 140 members are in Indigenous language training across seven languages and committed to prioritizing Indigenous recruitment for the 1,000 new officers. He affirmed that RCMP officers can enforce band bylaws and are developing a national policy for consistency.

Talal Dakalbab, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Public Safety, said the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program had 97% of its $349 million budget used last year, with collaboration improving. He acknowledged infrastructure and capacity challenges in remote areas but stressed that funding is not the issue; process and negotiation capacity are. He committed to listening to community needs within budget limits.

Chief Superintendent Lindsay Ellis, Commanding Officer of M Division in Yukon, described Yukon policing as progressive, with a low vacancy rate of 9-10% and dedicated relief teams. She highlighted the success of a community tripartite agreement placing two officers in Burwash Landing for the first time since 1946, and noted community safety officer programs and a mobile crisis response team pairing police with nurses.

Adrian Walraven, Director General for Indigenous Affairs at Public Safety, said his team uses informal per capita comparisons in funding negotiations but does not track that data systematically. He offered to provide written breakdowns of spending by jurisdiction.

The minister faced repeated questions about the lack of legislation recognizing First Nations policing as an essential service, with members noting no timeline was provided. He committed to meeting with Quebec First Nations leaders within 90 days and to report back to committee in a year. He defended the firearms buyback program as voluntary for police services and previously budgeted, and rejected claims that a form letter to a group called the Alliance of Indigenous Nations implied recognition. The committee agreed to invite the minister back in one year to report on progress.