Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her comments about the difference between expenditure and investment. Nowhere is this more important than when we consider the need for investment in aboriginal infrastructure.
I tabled a bill in the House today to get the federal government to have a national strategy and work with other parties, including the provinces, territories and first nations governments, to improve literacy. The OECD and a number of right-wing think tanks have been stating that the declining rate of literacy in this country is a major factor. Statistics show that the highest rate of illiteracy is among aboriginal communities and part of that factor is the lack of decent housing, the lack of safe drinking water and the lack of support to schools. In many cases, they do not even have schools.
I wonder if the member could speak to the matter of the need for investment in our first nations communities to ensure they can participate more fully in our economy.