Archived - Letters to Provinces and Territories: Nunavut 2015

The Honourable Keith Peterson, M.L.A.
Minister of Finance
Government of Nunavut
P.O. Box 2410
Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0

Dear Colleague:

I am pleased to provide you with Nunavut’s transfer payment amounts for 2016-17.

Pursuant to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act (the Act) and relevant regulations, I have completed my official determination of Equalization and Territorial Formula Financing payments for the coming year, as well as first estimates of Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer amounts for 2016-17. Next year, major transfers to all provinces and territories will reach a total of $70.8 billion.

Total major transfers to Nunavut for 2016-17 will round up to $1,514 million, an increase of $11.2 million from this year. The first estimates of your territory’s Canada Health Transfer and Canada Social Transfer payments for 2016-17 are $37.4 million and $13.8 million respectively. In accordance with the legislated formula under the Act and its regulations, your territory’s Territorial Formula Financing payment for 2016-17 will be $1,462.5 million. I understand that you have concerns regarding recent changes made by Statistics Canada affecting the calculation of your Territorial Formula Financing amounts. I have asked my officials to discuss with yours possible options to address this situation going forward.

Enclosed for your information is a table presenting the 2016-17 major transfer amounts for each province and territory. It will be provided to your officials and posted on the Department of Finance’s website in advance of our December 20-21, 2015 Finance Ministers Meeting.

I look forward to working collaboratively with you in this meeting and beyond to advance our shared priorities and deliver real progress on issues that matter to Canadians. I am grateful to have this opportunity to build a greater country together, and to honour the trust that Canadians have given us.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Bill Morneau, P.C., M.P.