Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you, witnesses, for your testimony. It's amazing stuff, so much that we've been hearing.
In similar topics, we've been hearing about the ability to really harness the decision-making in the local community. You touched on a bunch of barriers that you've been facing, and I appreciate hearing about them. We have heard similar stories from other witnesses who have appeared before our committee, so there seems to be an unfortunate common theme here.
I want to talk quickly about the path of economic reconciliation as well. I think it's a pretty important part of that. There are three areas I want to talk about that have been bandied about as potential solutions. Some of that has been already discussed in questioning here in the last 30 minutes or so, and some of it you brought up in your testimony. I'd like some feedback, if I could. I can pick one at a time, or if one person wants to comment, that's fine too.
The first is providing indigenous communities with more authority to enhance their fiscal powers—whether it is related to taxation, excise tax resources, the sale of goods; it doesn't matter—in order to build their economic capacity within their community.
The second would be something along the lines of working with indigenous-led financial institutions like the First Nations Financial Management Board, the First Nations Tax Commission or the First Nations Finance Authority to reduce some of the hurdles in the Indian Act that discourage private sector investment in indigenous communities, including many of your priorities, and lower the cost of long-term capital through policies that enhance credit ratings and provide greater security to lenders.
The third is the creation of a first nations infrastructure institute to help interested first nations build more fiscally, economically and environmentally sound infrastructure, all by better coordinating the fiscal and financing options and providing innovations for all parts of infrastructure. Basically, it's removing the part where.... Even Ms. Gazan mentioned that in her capacity as a vice-principal she had to write application after application, whereas schools off reserve would automatically get that. Maybe it's just about creating their own first nations infrastructure institute, where those projects could come at a grassroots level.
I don't know who wants to comment first or if anyone wants to comment, but I'm interested in getting feedback, if I could.