Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

CONCLUSION

According to the Auditor General, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs did not do enough to help community governments improve their delivery of some essential services and did not take adequate action to mitigate risks specific to the delivery of essential services, particularly in designated authority communities. Adequate support and community engagement are key to helping ensure that community governments have the capacity they need to provide residents with quality essential services critical to their health and safety.

The committee is encouraged that the Minister accepted the Auditor General’s recommendations and that the department has developed an action plan to implement them.

The standing committee will be monitoring the department’s progress and looks forward to receiving substantive progress reports.

Recommendation 7

The Standing Committee on Government Operations recommends that the Government provide a response to this report within 120 days.