OTTAWA — An internal email shows federal Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty told chiefs that funding for a legal principle ensuring First Nations children have access to government services should be for “emergencies” and that “abuses” had happened under the initiative. “After 30 days at her post, she intends to play an important role in the Jordan’s Principle initiative, considering the following,” reads a summary of the minister’s remarks, released to National Post under federal access-to-information legislation. “I have heard from community members and leadership about the challenges they face with accessing Jordan’s Principle, and that’s why I am undertaking a review to make sure that we properly address those concerns. An earlier Federal Court decision found the department had acted “unreasonably” by considering the issue “as solely a housing remediation matter,” rather than looking at the children’s health, as Jordan’s Principle intends. “At this time, Minister Gull-Masty does not have the intention of bringing forward legislation.

Source: National Post January 20, 2026 21:24 UTC