That's very kind of you. Thank you so very much.
Look, when we talk about a national interest project, I think one thing that's common among first nations, and it should be for Canadians as well, is that if we were to close the first nations infrastructure gap, that alone would have a bigger economic impact than the negative aspect of all Trump's tariffs if they were to remain. It is the right thing to do, but also economically the scale of it provides a huge return to first nations and to this country as well. Prime Minister Carney said that very quote during the AFN virtual leaders forum on April 25, 2025, during the election.
Canada can also demonstrate to the world that we can win by being inclusive and by respecting rights and treaties, because Canada's gross domestic product is generated off of first nations lands and resources. Over $560 billion of projects are forecasted to be launched on our traditional lands over the next decade. The potential benefits are measured in the trillions of dollars, but they won't advance without first nations support.
There's clean water, quality housing, reliable roads and power supplies, modern schools and health care facilities, and high-speed Internet. According to the Conference Board of Canada, a $350-billion investment to close the first nations infrastructure gap by 2030 will generate over $635 billion in economic output over the next seven years and create more than 300,000 jobs each year. That's not just including first nations. Many Canadians will benefit from that. This means that Canada moves from last to first in the G7 for average annual GDP per capita growth. Invest in our roads. Invest in our schools. If there's one thing we start off with right now, quickly, that's the way to go.
As well, split this bill and hold for the summer. Start investing in first nations infrastructure projects right in our communities, right across the country, so that we close that gap for all of our children. It's just disheartening when you see it day in and day out. I think all of our kids—your kids, my kids, our grandkids—deserve a better Canada than we have at the moment. We can do that by working together and by making sure that the voices of first peoples are heard.
If I have a moment, Mr. Chair, I would like to talk about FPIC. People always ask about that. If you read the declaration carefully, the standard of free, prior and informed consent is obtaining, not simply seeking, consent.
FPIC means exactly what it says—“free”. That means the process of consulting with first nations and obtaining consent must be free of intimidation, coercion or other forms of duress.
“Prior” means consultation and co-operation must take place before decisions are made, not after a bill is passed with projects pre-approved in advance of actual consultation and dialogue about consent.
“Informed” means that indigenous peoples must have access to all relevant information to make their own decisions. Critically, indigenous peoples must have the time and opportunity to reach an informed conclusion based on their own forms of decision-making. Informed also means that first nations must be provided information regarding major projects and have access to proper assessment of potential consequences, such as an environmental and social impact assessment, including first nations’ own such processes. It may also require a human rights impact assessment for both collective rights and individual human rights. Translation of information into indigenous languages may also be required
We always talk about free, prior and informed consent. I just wanted to table that with all of you. Thank you.