Creating a two-tiered Canada with budget cuts that divide by race

Blanket cuts may appear neutral but have discriminatory effects, particularly on First Nations peoples whose essential services are federally funded.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, left, and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy-Gull Masty. Instead of narrowing funding disparities for First Nations people, these new proposed spending cuts threaten to widen them, writes Anne Levesque.The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade and Sam Garcia

Opinion

BY ANNE LEVESQUE

July 30, 2025

On July 8, the Carney government announced significant spending reductions—15 per cent across all federal departments over three years. Among the departments affected is Indigenous Services Canada, which funds crucial services for First Nations communities.

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