Thank you for coming this afternoon and telling us what we need to know, which is how we come up with an anti-poverty plan for Canada.
There are many things that can be said that some people will agree with and some people will disagree with. But I think the one thing that just about everybody in the country would disagree with is when somebody arrives and says, “I'm from Ottawa and I'm here to help.” It seems that everyone figures that doesn't make sense to begin with.
The solutions to the problems that exist in Canadian communities are in the communities. I think the aboriginal friendship centres are a perfect example of that.
I want to read you something from Campaign 2000's report last week, when they were on Parliament Hill to talk about the 1989 declaration to eliminate child poverty by 2000. I'm just going to read from page 5 of that:
By 2006, the result of steady growth in Canada’s urban aboriginal population was that more than half—54%—of aboriginal peoples lived in urban centres. Yet funding for the Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program serving...off-reserve communities with culturally enhanced services has not increased since 1996. This results in pressure on limited core funding and resources to meet community needs.
We've heard from aboriginal friendship centres; we heard from one yesterday in Vancouver. We all know aboriginal friendship centres. It seems to me this would be one very sensible recommendation. I don't think you specifically asked for more funding for aboriginal friendship centres, but I expect it would be helpful, wouldn't it?