Thanks to our witnesses for the very important presentations that you're making.
I appreciated your words, Mr. Davis. I thought, when you gave your presentation of my cousin, Julie Serle, who died of multiple sclerosis. I know of so many families across the country. Mr. Ste-Marie just mentioned his family is impacted. We should all come together to support the initiatives you're talking about.
Mr. Sauvé and Mr. Merrifield, I am aware first-hand of the difference in funding. I represent two communities. New Westminster has an independent police force. In Burnaby, it's the RCMP. The police forces are very professional and competent in both cities, but in Burnaby, they are being strangled by what has been chronic underfunding by the federal government of RCMP training and Depot, and in providing officers. The graphic you presented shows so vividly the difference in the number of police officers per population. This is something that shows the strength of the arguments you're bringing forward. I hope those arguments are part of the recommendations that we bring forward from the finance committee.
I want to begin my questions with you, Mr. Wilson. We lose over $25 billion a year in overseas tax havens, according to the PBO. We waste massive amounts of money on very wealthy people, yet first nations communities have been chronically underfunded, starved of funding. The Assembly of First Nations is calling for about $7 billion a year to address what has been the legacy of colonialism.
What is the cost we pay if we don't make those investments, so that indigenous communities, whether we're talking about infrastructure, education, or housing, are finally treated with the same respect as other Canadians?