Yes, I have one I'd like to showcase. Again, coming to the indigenous interpretation of conservation and the ways in which we assert our sacred stewardship responsibilities over lands and water, around the world, I see our story reflected in this conversation.
One international model to look at is Australia. There, the federal government makes significant investments. Again, it's coming back to that idea of investments. They also have legislated methods and approaches to recognizing the indigenous peoples of Australia and their relationship to their lands through protected areas. I've had the opportunity many times in the past to hear Australian rangers share their experiences of asserting their stewardship responsibilities in their homelands. What has been really interesting is to learn about their relationship to their own federal government.
One of the things I loved learning about, and I talked about it in my opening statement, was that return on investment. One of the things that I haven't fully touched on is the benefit that we have not only within our communities but also in the broader Canadian society when we invest in these types of approaches. It not only empowers our communities to be in better partnership positions but also heals our communities. We end up seeing a return on the benefit in terms of both the health and well-being of our communities. We are not only physically healthier but also mentally much stronger. That then has a positive, transformative ripple impact across our communities. You see it in the education system, in the health system and in the decrease and the reduction of addictions.
I've seen these benefits within my own home territory, but Australia has also seen those benefits. What's really interesting is that you have a model in Australia where the federal government makes significant federal investments into these types of programs. One of the things I really loved learning about Australia was that the growth of these programs happened under one type of federal party. Another federal party came into power, and their instinct was to reduce the funding to these types of programs. They initiated a study, and what the study found was exactly what I just testified to. The investments into this type of work grew the benefit not only to the communities but also to the country. That government did not cut funding to those programs, but they actually grew it.
I have brought that message forward in the opportunities I've had to meet with different federal representatives over time, because I think the potential exists here in Canada. We're actually catching up to that Australian model, but I would like to see us eclipse it.