Auditor highlights social, economic gaps facing First Nations

Other key findings from the spring 2018 report of auditor general Michael Ferguson:

Indigenous Services Canada has failed to measure and accurately report the social and economic gaps between First Nations people on reserves and other Canadians. It also has failed to engage meaningfully with First Nations people in order to report whether their lives on reserves are improving.

The education gap between on-reserve First Nations students and other Canadians did not improve in the last 15 years. Information on the education gap reported by Indigenous Services was inaccurate because it did not account for students who dropped out.

Employment and Social Development Canada did not collect data to show whether two programs aimed at helping Indigenous people find work were increasing the number of people getting sustainable employment.

Consular officials responded quickly when there was a report of suspected torture or abuse against a Canadian detained in another country by getting in contact with the person. But it took up to seven months to assess the credibility of such reports and flag cases to top officials.

Canada’s military justice system is unacceptably slow, resulting in prosecutors abandoning nine cases because of delays. The Canadian Forces has known about the problems “for at least a decade, but has failed to correct them.”

The government routinely sells off surplus assets at firesale prices when goods or equipment could be reused by other federal organizations instead.