Again, I don't know where you got the 42,000 members. MMF alone has 54,000 voting members 18 and over at the federation, and that's not counting the children. So there are about 100,000 people just in MMF, under our government in Manitoba. Clearly, MNC represents 400,000 people in western Canada. That's not 42,000, so he might have made a slip on that statement, I hope.
Clearly, at the end of the day, there's definitely going to be a challenge in how you get the money around. That's why the Métis government has taken leadership roles here in Manitoba. We're actually sitting down with our friendship centres and we're giving them money up front, because they will eventually, hopefully, get money from Canada. They have food banks, and they have different ways of servicing the citizens—including some of mine but also some who are not ours.
Today, I think we hear the message loud and clear that this is not about one distinct people; it's about all Canadians. So we're moving forward fast on that issue. For example, we met with all the homeless institutions in Manitoba, whether it's the Salvation Army, the Siloam Mission, all of these big ones and small ones. Right now, for example, we're delivering close to 600 sandwiches to these small urban homeless outfits that are outside and operating in some form or fashion. For food banks, we're giving $10,000, $15,000, $20,000 to these food banks that are serving all Manitobans. The same thing is happening right across our homeland.
To your question, “Is there enough?”, there's probably never going to be enough, but clearly, at the end of the day, I think we need to start working together, set aside the differences of who we are, and start moving forward. As I said, I've already opened a 140-bed hospital institution in our construction camp, but it's open to all Manitobans and not just Métis, because I know that this is not a fight of our own; it's a fight for all of us.
I would say, again, that the Métis National Council does represent 400,000 people in western Canada, and I am sure that was a slip or mistake in the numbers when he said 42,000 people. And the rest of the people in eastern Canada, they are not Métis nation citizens, of course, but truly they should be helped in some form or some fashion.