International Trade committee  Thank you very much, sir. I think that is very important, but also to use free trade agreements not just defensively but offensively in how we are creating opportunities when it comes to not just trade but also investment. I just want to note—because I have had some time, thank you—that indigenous SMEs, from our research, were actually found to be twice as likely to be exporters as non-indigenous SMEs.

International Trade committee  Thank you. I would just say that those rules are determined by each individual first nation community. I would defer to their leadership. Thank you.

International Trade committee  It's critically important to have indigenous leaders at the table, actively involved, not just taking information but also providing meaningful proposals to inform the negotiations. It doesn't just stop at the negotiating table or once the ink is dry on the FTA. It's also about involvement in the implementation committees.

International Trade committee  Yes, thank you, Madam Chair.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, sir, for that question. I would be remiss if I didn't note that that objective did come through a very detailed research report that the CCAB published last year, called “Industry and Inclusion”. That report essentially set the benchmark for the 5% in recommendations, and for 1% increases per annum, which found its way into the mandate letter of Minister Anand.

International Trade committee  Absolutely. What we've found from our important work with our indigenous counterparts in Australia is that there is a need for a navigator function. This is something that my boss, president and CEO Tabatha Bull, has made the case for time and time again. There is a need for a navigator function to assist indigenous businesses in navigating the bureaucracy to draw down these procurement opportunities.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much for the question. As I described in my statement, it's about creating those opportunities and building indigenous capacity. If there's one idea that I would like to leave with the committee today, in a good way, it is that when we ask ourselves what we're doing, we should ask whether it is building indigenous capacity.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Aanii, Patrick Watson n'indignikaaz. Hello, my name is Patrick Watson and as the director of public policy for the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, CCAB, I would like to thank you, Madam Chair and all distinguished members of this committee, for the opportunity to provide you with my testimony and to answer your questions today.