Thank you, Chair.
Mr. Obed, it's good to see you. Thank you for coming. I don't think we've ever met, but I think I've probably seen you on a few flights, now that I think of it, because I imagine you fly through Edmonton.
You have told The Globe and Mail that the current standards for the indigenous business directory are far too inclusive. I found this quote to be interesting:
We are now living in an era where there are tremendous opportunities to be had for qualifying as a First Nations, Inuit and Métis business.... There are many actors in this country who want to take advantage of that.
What I understand you to be saying is that, if you have a self-identification model, you're going to have unscrupulous people who are going to self-identify in whatever way they determine to be in their interest to self-identify. That's why it's so important that we don't just have a sort of self-identification model for programs.
I wonder if you want to comment on that. Maybe just share your thoughts on this kind of self-identification model that we've been seeing in a lot of different places.