Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Mr. LeClair, Mr. Pelletier, on November 16, we marked the 139th anniversary of a very sad event, the one related to Mr. Riel's hanging. I wanted to offer you and the Métis community my full support. In Quebec, a former premier once said, “We barked hard against that hanging. He was called a dog.” My heart goes out to you for that. That was 139 years ago, but it's still fresh in our minds.
My first question is for Mr. Beaton, but you can add your comments. I'm sure you'll also have something to say.
Mr. Beaton, you said that it was sometimes necessary for indigenous businesses to partner with non-indigenous businesses for financial considerations. We've heard that from others as well. It's a question of cash flow, and one of the reasons is the Indian Act. It's very difficult for businesses operating on reserves to get financing from traditional banks.
How can we ensure that the indigenous business really has a role to play in the contract obtained as part of an alliance with a non-indigenous business, both in terms of the tasks to accomplish and in terms of revenue sharing? How do we ensure that is fair and true?