Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll begin with a quote: “They're asking us to take on liabilities that they create by chronic underfunding and leaving infrastructure on reserve to rot, and now they want us to take over with no commitments for ongoing operations and maintenance.”
I'm sure you could probably guess who said that. Many would wonder, of course, which first nation it was. Almost any of them could make a very similar statement, I'm certain. However, this again comes from Treaty 6, Treaty 7 and Treaty 8, which you've cited as being partners toward reconciliation.
It's your responsibility to ensure the “transfer” of responsibility as Mr. Barbosa mentioned, rather than “devolution”. However, this position you're taking is causing harm. I hope you understand that. The convenient excuse of taking a very legitimate expression of an indigenous nation's right to self-determination should not and must not result in the material loss to first nations communities, but that is the fact.
Even worse, the trust between ISC—the Crown—and indigenous people has gotten worse. They go on to suggest that they don't even know what the priorities of this government are. What are Canada's priorities for first nations? Is it housing on reserve? Is it eliminating drinking water advisories? Is it to prevent reoccurrences? Is it first nations infrastructure? They don't know, because you're not acting.
You're sitting on your hands, waiting for someone else to raise their hand and say that they need help. That isn't the approach that first nations deserve. That is not the approach that indigenous people in this country are entitled to.
They deserve a government that acknowledges its responsibility to the treaties, first and foremost. If you need an example of what transfer of responsibility looks like, look at the treaties of our ancestors, which made very clear how these things were to be done.
Instead of acknowledging the relationship that first nations people largely demanded of the Crown, the Indian Act and the Department of Indigenous Services Act have displaced much of that responsibility to your ministry. Now your ministry is saying that they can't take that responsibility until the first nations do specific things. What is it going to take to ensure that there is not only money but fair treatment and understanding of their concerns?
I'll start with Mr. Tremblay, particularly on the formula.