Thank you, Madam Chairperson, and thanks to both of you for being here today. The primary reason we've gathered is to discuss the important incident that happened on September 16. You brought us a report today. I think the whole way in which this issue was handled gets at the deeper problem and the reason this became such a headline in the first place, and that is poor communication and the need to build relationships between Health Canada, the Public Health Agency, and first nations, Inuit, and Métis people across the land.
This is a report today on October 7, which is more than three weeks after the incident happened, more than two weeks after we got a letter of explanation from Jim Wolfe in Manitoba and an apology, and more than several weeks since first nations people said this is about the lack of regard the federal government has had with respect to their needs and concerns about preparing for a pandemic.
I don't think this incident would ever have happened if there were better relations. It wouldn't happen with friends or familiar partners. I think it happens when people are strangers, when I think Health Canada was treating first nations as strangers, and the report you've delivered today doesn't even get at the root of the problem, which is that communication, that building of a relationship. So it's going to cause anger among the community. Already Chief Knott from Wasagamack has said he's upset with the report. We've got Chief David Harper from MKO saying this is not good enough. They're both calling for an independent investigation. That's unfortunate.
Why couldn't we have found a way to handle this issue in a way that got to the root issues at hand and dealt with it on the spot? There was no need for us to wait for three weeks for this kind of a report that simply says there was an overestimation of the number of body bags required and we're sorry and we're going to put in place ordering procedures and procurement procedures to fix this problem, and not really a word about the fact that this was an affront because these were first nations communities trying to get the attention of government to get some help. They wanted some help preparing flu kits, and ironically this report comes out today, the very day the first nations community, in cooperation with the Manitoba government, has finally been able to send flu kits into all their communities, so they feel some sense of comfort and preparedness in the event this pandemic starts to spread.
So I think the real question to you today is, where is your response to that root cause of the problem? You acknowledged it by signing a protocol three days after the body bag issue. You did that because you knew there were problems, and this protocol promises comprehensive, well-coordinated communication. So you knew that was a problem. It promises enhanced understanding of the unique challenges facing first nations. It promises joint development of culturally appropriate H1N1 public health information. It promises consistent message and information. Today this report disregards all of that; it only hurts and it keeps the wound wide open.
So I think the real question is, what are you going to do to repair the damage and address the real concerns around working together in terms of flu supplies, protective devices, staff on reserves, and how it's going to be paid for? I think they're still all grappling with the fact that they believe priorities will be revised to take money from existing programs in their communities if it's needed in terms of an influenza outbreak. In fact when folks showed us the Jim Wolfe apology letter of September 21, they also showed us his letter of June 17 talking about how there will be flexibility within the funding that goes to first nations communities to divert funds from there in the event of a pandemic. That worries them.
Are there any additional resources? Is there a plan? What has happened with respect to this protocol? What can you point to, and are you prepared to address the negative reaction to the report you've tabled today?