For Immediate Release

November 28, 2006

 

Auditor General says government should review its administrative and management processes regarding treaty negotiations.

 

VICTORIA - The Acting Auditor General has made four recommendations to government designed to improve the administrative and management processes of its negotiations of treaties with First Nations.

 

Acting Auditor General Arn van Iersel released his report today on the audit of the processes.

 

“We did this audit because of the importance of treaty negotiations, and the recent changes in the provincial approach to its relationship with First Nations,” said van Iersel.

 

He examined the Province’s participation in the treaty process and the results of its activities by looking at the administrative and management processes and the provincial resources used.

 

van Iersel found that overall, the provincial government has effective administrative and management processes and resources in place to successfully negotiate treaties for the few First Nations at the “breakthrough tables”—a small number of treaty tables that the government believes are most likely to be successful.

 

“Although government has had some success at negotiating with a small number of treaty tables,” says van Iersel, “the slow pace of negotiations at the majority of treaty tables is straining relationships and is increasing the sense of frustration among some First Nations.”

 

He also said that an emerging policy, the New Relationship, may help to strengthen relationships between the Province and First Nations in the negotiation process.

 

Mr. van Iersel’s recommendations focus on expediting the treaty mandating processes, reviewing and revising the approach to treaty negotiations to better align with the New Relationship strategy, providing sufficient resources to support the process, and reporting regularly to the Legislative Assembly on progress of treaties.

 

At the same time that BC’s Auditor General undertook his audit, Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada examined the Government of Canada’s approach to managing its involvement in the BC treaty negotiation process.  Ms. Fraser’s report to the Federal Parliament was also issued today.

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2006/07 Report #3  –  Audit of Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia:  An Assessment of the Effectiveness of British Columbia’s Management and Administrative Processes

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