Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, I’m pleased to speak once again to Bill C-45, An Act to amend the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts, and to make a clarification relating to another Act.

I’d like to acknowledge the work of Senator Klyne as well as the members of the committee and all those in the other house who worked to bring this bill to our chamber. I will keep my intervention short, as I would want to do nothing to delay this timely and important piece of legislation.

Bill C-45 makes amendments to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act that will better enhance and expand the good work of the three Fiscal Management Act institutions and now the fourth, the First Nations infrastructure institute.

The bill passed through the House of Commons quickly, with only a few minor amendments to add clarity to the text, and it passed through the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples without difficulty.

Among the changes this brings to the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, three items stand out for special mention.

First, Bill C-45 directly addresses the shamefully large infrastructure gap of at least $349.2 billion between First Nations and non-Indigenous communities. It has been woefully clear that the “Ottawa knows best” top-down approach has been unable to address this issue, and now, through the First Nations infrastructure institute, Indigenous communities will have direct access to an Indigenous-led organization whose primary focus is to address this gap.

Second, this legislation continues to expand and modernize the First Nations Financial Management Board’s services to meet the needs of First Nations and other Indigenous groups and entities. This would be an optional pathway for tribal councils, modern treaty nations and self-governing groups to build their administrative, financial and governance capacity through the risk-managed support of the Financial Management Board, as nearly 350 First Nations have chosen to do.

Lastly, Bill C-45 also expands the First Nations Tax Commission, FNTC, to support First Nations who choose to increase their fiscal powers beyond real property taxation. It would also open FNTC to be able to offer services to self‑governing First Nations, municipalities and other orders of government.

Bill C-45 recognizes the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions. Through its optionality, Bill C-45 recognizes Indigenous peoples’ right to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities.

Through Bill C-45, economic reconciliation is recognized as an important pillar in overall reconciliation. It is a step to get rid of the gatekeepers to Indigenous growth and to reverse the archaic and paternalistic Indian Act and its consequences that effectively removed First Nations from the national economy.

Honourable senators, reconciliation must be centred on the ability of Indigenous peoples to make decisions for their own lives and communities. Bill C-45 provides an avenue for that, and it is my hope that we can pass this important piece of legislation quickly and unanimously.

Thank you.