Minister Murray Highlights Budget for Reconciliation with Indigenous Communities

Scotchfort, Prince Edward Island - Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, was on Prince Edward Island to advance reconciliation with First Nations.

Since 2015, the federal government has worked with Indigenous partners to advance reconciliation and made significant distinction-based investments to respond to the unique histories, interests, and priorities of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.

Key investments in First Nations priorities made since 2015, include:

• $29 billion for child welfare services, including funding to implement An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, to maintain and enhance the First Nations Child and Family Services program, and to support ongoing negotiations towards additional program reforms;
• Nearly $6.4 billion to meet the needs of First Nations children through Jordan's Principle;
• $6.7 billion to support primary care and public health on reserve, distinctions-based mental health care, and non-insured health benefits. This also includes $1.2 billion in infrastructure funding, which has already supported 248 health-related projects in First Nations communities;
• Over $5.9 billion for elementary and secondary education to help First Nations children living on reserve receive high-quality schooling. This also includes $1.8 billion in infrastructure funding, which has already supported 261 school facility projects;
• Over $5.7 billion to address critical infrastructure gaps related to water and wastewater, and accelerate progress to end long-term and short term drinking water advisories in First Nations communities on reserve;
• Over $4 billion to support First Nations housing on reserve;
• Almost $2.5 billion to support community infrastructure on reserve;
• Nearly $2.5 billion in funding to build an early learning and child care system that meets the needs of First Nations families;
• $991 million for First Nations and Inuit policing and police facilities to provide access to local and culturally sensitive police services that make communities safer; and,
• $417 million targeted for First Nations post-secondary education.

Budget 2023 builds on this important progress. To advance reconciliation, funding under Budget 2023 includes:

• a commitment to ensure that First Nations children have the supports they need to flourish, and that communities are supported in their efforts to keep families together;
• an investment of over $2 billion in new, additional funding over ten years for a distinctions-based Indigenous Health Equity Fund;
• an investment of $4 billion to implement a co-developed Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy; and,
• ensuring Indigenous Peoples can meaningfully participate and share in the benefits of decisions that affect them.