Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
[Witness speaks in Oneida]
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of this committee, for allowing us to make this presentation today. I am going to reiterate much of what Chief Toulouse has indicated with respect to the way we see this as a violation with respect to our treaty rights.
I represent an organization of eight communities. Within that, there are seven nations. That is the representation that we are trying to make here today. Within the same Constitution that protects those rights is an obligation by the federal government to have this notion and duty of consultation. There is an honour of the crown at stake.
As we start talking about the imposition of this tax on our people, I think we only stand to be fairly treated with respect to this. There is a great concern amongst our people with the speed and the process in terms of this particular piece of legislation, with it being rushed through not only in the Ontario parliament, but in this House of Commons as well.
We are calling on both governments to honour themselves. They have an obligation to protect our aboriginal treaty rights; they do exist. There is a process to be taken on if there is going to be any infringement on those rights. We don't see that with respect to this particular government in terms of addressing those things, so we are asking you to take up your obligation to protect these rights.
With respect to the notion of the exemption clause that the Ontario regional chief has suggested we include in this piece of legislation, this is not going to take away from the bill; it is not going to take away from anything with respect to the taxation powers that are going to be created. If Ontario citizens and Canadian citizens want to be taxed, that is certainly something that is beyond the control of first nations.
I come from communities that live by the spirit of what they call Gus-wen-tah, Two Row Wampum: that we would go down the river of life parallel and that rules would not interfere with one another. This is the same thing we're talking about here, ladies and gentlemen. It's the spirit and intent of that treaty that we need to uphold, and if there's going to be any violation of our rights, I think it behooves this committee and it behooves this government to sit down and do the fair thing and talk to us about this.
I am really concerned. I currently hold the chair for the chiefs committee on social and child welfare. What I have heard from citizens of many first nations right across this country is that this is going to have a tremendous impact on them. It is going to change their current ways with respect to spending and it is going to reduce their spending power. Also, this idea of a one-time contribution by the federal government to offset these costs is not going to be equitable, and it's certainly not going to be fair in comparison once this happens year after year.
We're concerned about that. We're concerned about the activities that it's going to cause right now with respect to a change in behaviour.
What it's going to hurt, too, sir.... You people have to understand that 90% of our money in first nations communities is not spent within our communities, but outside, so this idea that we don't pay tax is a misnomer. We have paid tax. We have paid tax continuously.
What we're saying now is that with this change, it's going to hurt the people. It's going to take money right out of their pockets. That, unfortunately, is going to have a negative effect on them. We're dealing right now with the poorest of the poor. We're dealing right now with families that are on fixed incomes. We're dealing with seniors who are on fixed incomes.
We live with all of these challenges on a day-to-day basis. We see nothing from the federal government in terms of trying to correct those things in a positive or aggressive fashion. We see that this tax is going to harm us and it's certainly going to harm our communities and our economic development.
With that, again, I just want to reiterate the fact that this is a violation of our treaty rights. I think this table has an obligation to report that to the House and to the Senate, and to take the proper actions to make sure that our rights are upheld and that this particular government holds true to its word with respect to the honour of the crown.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.