Perhaps I could add a couple of things from the economic development perspective.
Back in 2009, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, the government released a new federal framework for aboriginal economic development. That is trying to realign how we work as a federal family, and come to ground on what our role is around economic development when it comes to aboriginal Canadians. It's recognizing that things have changed a lot over the past 20 or 30 years. I mentioned some of the things.
Demographics, obviously, is one of them, in terms of the number of aboriginal Canadians who will come of age, over the next ten years, to enter the labour market. You've got emerging first nations economies, whether you look at Osoyoos or Membertou. You can look at Whitecap Dakota and other places, where there are emerging economies that are becoming net importers of workers, in fact. You also have this huge growth in resource development that's having an impact, particularly on remote communities. You also have that demonstrable interest of the private sector to work with aboriginal Canadians, and to work with government.
I think the thing that's different now, which made it a bit different in the past, is the whole interest in working partnerships. Louis mentioned, as well, the number of different interests that are coming to the table now around economic development in a way that they weren't before. Some of that is driven by things like accommodation and consultation requirements, but I think there's also legitimate interest on the part of the non-aboriginal private sector, recognizing that there are going to be some extreme labour shortages in the future. As we work out this period of our economy, aboriginal Canadians are poised to deliver that. That makes it incumbent on us to start thinking about how we do this a little bit differently, not to be passive administrators of programs, but rather to link all the different investments that we have.
I think at this table what we're trying to do—and we work together when we're not in front of your committee as well—is look at things like how we link investments and social assistance to training and skills development, and economic development. There's a chief in Osoyoos named Chief Louie, who says that the best social program is a job. That's really what we have to be cognizant of, and the fact that it's the economy that's going to deliver the jobs. Whether you're in a remote community or a less remote community, it's going to be the economy that drives self-reliance and independence.