OTTAWA -- Despite having originally denied their existence, the federal Indigenous Affairs Department says it will hand over to the parliamentary budget office a number of relevant documents pertaining to First Nations education.
The office requested the information last month after learning from the federal auditor general that it was both available and relevant to an ongoing federal spending analysis.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett blames the problem on a "miscommunication."
She says the department is in the process of providing the PBO with the information.
Parliamentary budget officer Jean-Denis Frechette says his office has been in regular contact with Indigenous Affairs for many months, and that he'll follow up on Friday if he does not hear back from the government.
NDP indigenous affairs critic Charlie Angus says government transparency is paramount, and that First Nations education has been a "complete failure."
