Thank you very much, Chair.
First of all I'd like to acknowledge the honour song by the member. It is truly enlightening to see this in a committee.
For those of you who may not be aware, the role and function of the AFN is to serve as a national delegated forum for determining and harmonizing effective, collective, and co-operative measures on any subject matters that the first nations delegate for review, study, response, or action and to advance the aspirations of first nations.
Our 2016 budget submission focuses on the demonstrable need for additional funding to close the gap between first nations and the rest of Canada. This includes funding for education, health, housing, water, capital infrastructure, children and family, environmental stewardship, economic development, social development, and the removal of the 2% cap.
AFN continues to emphasize that in addition to significant investments to create equitable funding, a fundamental transformation of relationships between first nations and Canada is required in order to achieve significant change for first nations.
Prime Minister Trudeau has committed to:
...immediately lift[ing] the two percent cap on funding for First Nations programs and work[ing] to establish a new fiscal relationship that gives First Nations communities sufficient, predictable, and sustainable funding.
I will now turn it over to Mr. Dinsdale.