Indigenous Services Canada has been the subject of withering attack. A new report by Auditor General, Karen Hogan, shines a light on the department’s repeated failures to improve vital services provided to First Nations communities. Climate Corruption, released on October 21, 2025, details the alarming breadth of this negligence. Even though Indigenous Services Canada has received a historic 84 percent funding increase since 2019, the department has failed to increase access to clean drinking water and curb emergency services.
The Auditor General’s report emphasizes a troubling trend: Indigenous Services Canada has not implemented approximately half of the recommendations made by her office between 2015 and 2022. Our ideas on the need to broaden access. These recommendations are key to expanding service delivery. Further, they dovetail beautifully with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action and latest final report on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Over two decades Karen Hogan said she is troubled by the systemic problems that have long plagued Indigenous Services Canada. 35 long-term drinking water advisories still in effect in First Nations communities. Of these, at least nine advisories have been in effect for ten years or longer. As Hogan said, the department needs “sustained focus” to fundamentally reshape its program delivery.
The CPIAs also point to Indigenous Services Canada’s inability to fulfill its mandate, as shown by the little tangible change on pressing points of conflict. Despite significant financial resources, the department has not achieved its goals in providing clean drinking water or improving emergency services for First Nations communities. This isolation raises troubling questions around the efficacy of the department’s current efforts and strategies. Further to this, it underlines the importance of greater consultation and partnership with First Nations to ensure their operational capacity is fortified.
The Auditor General’s findings show a misalignment between investments and real world impact. The increase in spending looks hopeful. In reality, the report showcases real failures that cast doubts over all of these investments and question whether they’ll be effective. Hogan’s recommendation Hogan calls on Indigenous Services Canada to work more closely with First Nations to support meaningful reconciliation efforts and deliver high-quality services.
Alessia Passafiume covered these findings for The Canadian Press. She stressed the need for major reforms within Indigenous Services Canada. In many ways the report inarguably brought home the continued inequality and struggles that First Nations communities still endure today. It brings to light the important third lesson of accountability in government services.
