CAP SEEKS TO ANSWER "WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?"
Government’s proactive disclosure a first step but more answers are needed
(January 17, 2008 – OTTAWA, ON) In a spirit reflective of its determined pursuit towards accountability, transparency and responsibility in federal Aboriginal affairs, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) recently posed the question, “Where Does The Money Go?” In so doing, it set off on an undertaking that led to the examination of 6,199 federal grants and contributions to 2,054 recipients across thirty federal departments and agencies.
2006 Census of Canada data demonstrates a growing Aboriginal population in this country. It also suggests a trend towards continued increases in the off-reserve and urban Aboriginal population.
In the face of this, the Congress of Aboriginal today released a report which reviews and analyses the over $5.6 billion in federal government Grants and Contributions in spending on Aboriginal programs and services which were identified through its review. This figure represents almost half of the over $10 billion in annual federal expenditures in Aboriginal affairs.
CAP undertook this exercise following the federal government’s decision, announced in October 2005, to begin disclosing information on Grants and Contributions (G’s & C’s) over $25,000. The 2006–2007 fiscal year is the first full year to which the disclosure system applied.
CAP National Chief, Patrick Brazeau, positioned the report as a fundamental tool for Aboriginal peoples -- and particularly those who are registered Indians – who are seeking to know more about how funding is allocated, and whether investments are being effectively made in areas of most pressing need. “We hoped that our review would bring some clarity to a pursuit that is often claimed to be under-funded. We also hoped to find clear indications of the disparities between on- and off-reserve expenditures,” said the National Chief.
Brazeau concluded, “All of the data contained in our report is public information, culled from the websites of the numerous federal agencies and departments that fund Aboriginal programs and services. Our agenda in this endeavour has been singular – to attempt to shed some light on where and how these considerable investments are being made. Canada’s Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian taxpayers deserve no less.”
The full report “WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?” is available in PDF format from the CAP website at: http://www.abo-peoples.org/policy/gc0607.HTML
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For further information, please contact:
Al Fleming
Director, Public Affairs
Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
613-747-6022 (office)
613-867-8696 (mobile)
