QUESTION PERIOD — Crown-Indigenous Relations
Indian Act
February 8, 2021
Senator Gold, you will recall that in January 2019, the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that the Indian Act discriminates against Indigenous women in Canada, joining other expert international bodies in confirming a shameful truth; that First Nations women have lived with discrimination for more than 150 years.
Well over three years ago, senators came together in this chamber to craft amendments to Bill S-3, which were eventually accepted so that the promise was made, in law, to eliminate the sex-based inequities in section 6 of the Indian Act. Some of those amendments came into force on December 12, 2017, and some — the final group — finally came into force on August 15, 2019.
It’s indisputable that denial of status is a rights violation that has dire social, financial and cultural implications for First Nations women, their families and our country. There are, by this government’s own estimates, between 270,000 to 450,000 First Nations women, and their descendants, newly entitled to status by these amendments. But since 2017, only 10,800 have been registered. Some of these women are old and/or ill. Registration delayed is registration denied. As long as these Indigenous women are not registered, the discrimination continues unabated.
My question, then, to you, honourable colleague, is why is progress in keeping the promise of full equality for First Nations women and their descendants so slow? Why is the implementation of this promise nowhere to be found in any mandate letter of any minister? Isn’t it true that no government minister being assigned the responsibility of implementing the Bill S-3 rights of Indigenous women means that —
Do you have a question?
— means that this government has decided that Indigenous women are not truly a priority?
Thank you for your question. The short answer, honourable colleague, to your last question is no, far from that. The government is committed to eliminating all sex-based discrimination in the Indian Act registration. As a result, as you know, of the bill coming into force, all known sex-based inequities in the registration provision of the Indian Act have been eliminated.
I’ve been advised that the government is progressively on‑boarding additional resources to the dedicated Bill S-3 Winnipeg processing unit, with new funding to ensure timely processing of applications. Let me give you some more examples of this.
For over a year now, consultations were held and have been held with Indigenous partners about how best to bring these new provisions into force. The government has invested $17.5 million in new funding, beginning in 2018-19, to support the processing of Bill S-3 related registration applications, and is now moving forward with an implementation plan that monitors registration mobility rates, supports communities and individuals throughout this process and will inform future investments.
Senator McPhedran, do you have a supplementary?
I do. Senator Gold, may I ask that we, as a chamber, receive back from you some specific updates from the government when we actually reach more reasonable numbers than the measly number of 10,800 so far achieved?
Colleague, I’ll be happy to update this chamber as information comes to me.
