Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank the committee for inviting us to appear today.
My name is Ghislain Picard. I'm the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations. The Assembly of First Nations is the national political advocacy organization for first nation governments in Canada.
I am joined today by my colleague, Manitoba Regional Chief Bill Traverse, who is also the national portfolio holder on the AFN executive for housing and infrastructure.
The need for investment in first nations will not be a surprise to this committee. For over a decade the AFN has been raising chronic issues of underfunding directly to this committee as part of the pre-budget process.
Additionally, first nations and other organizations have been bringing your attention to these urgent needs. This year alone, there were 67 submissions that had direct recommendations regarding first nations. Chronic underinvestment in first nation communities creates widespread and long-term impacts on all aspects of the economy.
We have moved beyond having to prove that a disparity exists. The deep inadequacies in federal funding to first nations in all areas—core operations, education, child welfare, infrastructure, and health—are known and accepted. However, what we lack is the clear political commitment to address these. Within this context, the AFN once again is put in the position where we are forced to advocate for continuing already inadequate funding, because even losing that would be untenable.
When we look at the budget cycle for this year, we see a number of programs that support first nations where funding is not currently identified beyond this fiscal year. This includes the aboriginal skills and employment strategy, a critical support for training first nation citizens and creating linkages with employers. Also, numerous programs that support the health of first nation citizens need to be continued in the next budget, including the health services integration fund, the aboriginal health human resources initiative, the aboriginal diabetes initiative, maternal and child health, the children's oral health initiative, and the national aboriginal youth suicide prevention strategy.
The specific investments required in the 2015 budget are outlined in the AFN pre-budget submission, but we all know that we cannot continue with piecemeal, inadequate, and discretionary project-based funding. A fundamental transformation of the relationship between first nations and Canada is required in order to achieve significant change for first nations. New funding mechanisms are needed that move away from arbitrary and coercive contribution agreements to a fiscal mechanism that recognizes first nation titles and rights.
I would like to specifically refer to funding commitments made last year by the Prime Minister for first nations education. Our children cannot continue to face inequities in education across Canada. The AFN has been directed to ensure these funds are provided to our communities immediately and to engage with Canada on a new financial framework on education that supports predictable and sustainable transfer payments to first nation schools.
I will turn to my colleague now, who will make brief remarks specific to infrastructure.
We welcome the questions you may have. Thank you.