Thank you, Mr. Chair. I only want to make one comment, after which I will give the floor back to my colleague.
If you don't mind, I will start off by asking the people at Health Canada to either take our deliberations seriously or to not come at all. I witnessed an unfortunate incident this afternoon: someone was on his BlackBerry and was laughing with someone else while the witnesses were making their presentations. I didn't find it funny at all, and neither do some other people who are here. These people are paid to do a job. If they don't want to do it, let them stay home.
Let me make a second comment. It seems to me that we have been talking about the First Nations and Aboriginal issue for years. As far as I am concerned, the main problem seems to be that we do not want to recognize their right to autonomy and to grant them the means to exercise it. We are not giving them the resources they need to break free from the shackles that bind them. All we're doing is maintaining their dependence by providing them with little programs year after year. These programs only prolong their dependence on the government and prevent them from developing fully. This is how I feel.