Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll address Mr. Craig here. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation, according to the Canadian Bar Association, came out with a paper in 2010, which kind of exacerbated this issue. Here is what they say:
CTF claimed that 160 First Nations' leaders earn more than their respective provincial premiers, and 50 were paid more than the Prime Minister. CTF also alleged that over 600 First Nations' officials received an income equivalent to $100,000 off reserve. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) expressed concern with CTF's methodology, noting that its calculations included travel expenses and per diems. Based on AFN's recalculations, First Nations' officials were paid an average of $36,845 per year. AFN found that only 3% of chiefs and councillors earned over $100,000, less than 1% more than their provincial premiers, and none more than the Prime Minister. AFN also said that CTF's use of “taxable equivalents” inflated salaries and suggested exorbitant income. AFN noted that the use of the term “taxable equivalent” overlooks the fact that not all band council members are status Indians and therefore do not benefit from tax exemptions for income earned on reserve. Further, it does not acknowledge the historical and constitutional basis for such arrangements.
Your group has come out with a document where you've used figures in a creative fashion to create an aura around the first nations and their councillors' and chiefs' remuneration. Is that not the case?