Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development snubbed aboriginal financial institutions when he failed to include them in the loan loss reserve program.
For years no banks wanted to invest in on reserve businesses, so the AFIs shouldered the risk by themselves and made it profitable. Now the big banks want to move in and the government is helping them, but leaving out the AFIs.
The Conservative aboriginal caucus wants AFIs to be part of the loan loss reserve program. When will the minister level the playing field and add AFIs to the loan loss reserve program?