Thank you.
I have a question from the chair.
Mr. Wernick, I think you've given us a lot to consider here today. This is not testimony that certainly I as chair had expected. In fact, your comments reminded of when I went to study 15 years ago at the London School of Economics, which was well regarded as a bastion of left-wing thinking, supposedly, or so I was warned. When I arrived on campus, I discovered that the school was rooted in the belief that private property was fundamental to building. I think you've touched on that today.
Here's a question I have for you that I'd like a response to. During your time as Deputy Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, the government was focused on creating economic opportunities in the resource sector and first nations self-government accountability. It has been argued that those priorities led to systemic underfunding of basic public services, such as housing and health and education, especially in remote communities where the cost of providing these services can be significantly higher and where there may not be significant administrative capacity or economic activity.
How do you respond to this criticism? Please provide any thoughts you have on it.