THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu says she’s honoured to still hold the Indigenous Services portfolio after new Prime Minister Mark Carney named his transitional cabinet today.
Hajdu keeps her Minister of Indigenous Services role, but is no longer the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, or FedNor. That has been reabsorbed into the Innovation, Science and Industry portfolio, held by Anita Anand.
“It's a much-reduced cabinet in terms of size,” Hajdu said, referring to the fact that Carney trimmed the total number of ministers from 37 down to 24. “I’m really honoured to continue to work with Indigenous communities and people (on) the journey of reconciliation.”
“I've formed very deep relationships across the country,” Hajdu continued.
“I've had so many opportunities to work with communities as they regain self-determination in areas of financial matters, in areas of child welfare, in areas of healthcare delivery, and this is just a huge honour to continue this work.”
On Friday, Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler, on behalf of the territorial organization’s executive council, congratulated Carney on his swearing in as Prime Minister and acknowledged former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “for his personal commitment to prioritizing Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples.”
In the statement, Fiddler also said he welcomed Hajdu’s return to the Indigenous Services portfolio, and that of Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Minister Gary Anandasangaree “so that we can continue the important progress together.”
“We also look forward to developing relationships with the new ministers that have been entrusted with leading this government forward through the uncertain times ahead,” Fiddler’s statement continued.
The Grand Chief did note, what he called a lack of “substantive conversation” during the federal leadership campaign about federal responsibilities to First Nations.
When speaking about her own working relationship with NAN, Hajdu said a lot of progress has been made, citing the signing of an $8.5 billion deal on child welfare, but “there’s more work to do.”
“We have to continue our work on closing the infrastructure gap,” she said. “That the work that we've done on investing in housing, in water, in social services, in health has to continue so that every single person in this country sees themselves as having purpose, value and safety.”
As far as having the FedNor responsibility removed from her duties, Hajdu said having one minister overseeing all economic development agencies makes sense — especially in, what she called a smaller “crisis cabinet,” referring to ongoing threats and tensions with the United States.
“The consolidation of the economic development agencies (ministerially) gives some ability for economic development agencies to work tightly and closely together to solve the challenges that small and medium-sized businesses are having across the country and to collaborate and pool their energy,” Hajdu said, adding that, regardless of how FedNor has been organized at the ministry level, the agency has long had a history of being relatively independent.
“They have a significant ability to work within northern Ontario in an independent fashion,” she said.
Hajdu and her ministerial colleagues likely won’t officially hold their titles for long — Carney is widely expected to call an election soon.
Regardless, Hajdu said that she still has two main goals: having an “ambitious agenda looking forward,” and being a “stable hand” in the Indigenous Services role.
“Certainly, I have the experience and the relationships across the country with Indigenous people to be able to ensure that the department can deliver, deliver quickly, and be flexible enough to meet the needs of individual communities,” she said.
