(Deputy Chair) in the chair.

[English]

Honourable senators, I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land on which we gather is the traditional ancestral and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation and is now home to many other First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples from across Turtle Island.

I am Senator David Arnot from Saskatchewan, and I am the deputy chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Indigenous Peoples. I will now ask the committee members in attendance here to introduce themselves by stating their names and the province or territory from which they come.

Thank you.

Welcome to our panel of witnesses, in particular we have with us the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller; Christopher Duschenes, Director General, Indigenous Institutions and Governance Modernization; Philippe Bertrand, Manager, Fiscal Policy and Investment Readiness; Andrea Dixon, Senior Policy Analyst, Fiscal Policy and Investment Readiness; Andrew Ouchterlony, Legal Counsel, Department of Justice Canada; Joanne Wilkinson, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Regional Operations, Indigenous Services Canada; Lynne Newman, Director General, Fiscal Arrangements, Indigenous Services Canada; and Jessica Sultan, Director General, Economic Policy Development, Indigenous Services Canada. I would like to thank you all for joining us today. Minister Miller will provide us with remarks for about five minutes or so, followed by a question-and-answer session with the senators. We are advised the minister must leave no later than 9:45 this morning, but the cadre of officials will remain to answer questions. I now invite Minister Miller to give his opening remarks.

Thank you, Minister Miller.

I was remiss in not introducing Karine Tremblay, Senior Policy Analyst, Fiscal Policy and Investment Readiness, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. It is nice to see you.

I will now invite questions from the senators.

Thank you, I want to get all the senators in on first round if we can.

Minister, I have two senators that have questions if you can indulge two more questions. One is from Senator Hartling, and one is from Senator Klyne.

Senator Klyne, would you like to get a chance, since you are leading this bill in the Senate?

Thank you, Minister Miller. I know you have to leave. Thank you for coming today. I appreciate your testimony. We look forward to working on this act as expeditiously as we can. Thank you.

On second round, I will let Senator Hartling ask the first question. Mr. Duschenes or any of the witnesses can help answer.

Thank you. If Ms. Newman, or anybody else, would like to amplify on that in writing, that would be helpful.

I want to thank everyone. That brings this panel to a conclusion. Thank you to all witnesses for coming. As was mentioned, it is good to see so many witnesses on such an important bill.

We have four groups here this afternoon for the second panel from the First Nations Finance Authority, Ernie Daniels, President and Chief Executive Officer; Steve Berna, Chief Operating Officer; and Jody Anderson, Strategy and Partnerships Advisor. These folks are online. We also have, from the First Nations Financial Management Board, Harold Calla, Executive Chair. We have the First Nations Infrastructure Institute represented by Allan Claxton, Development Board Chair; and Jason Calla, Technical Team Lead. And from the First Nations Tax Commission, Manny Jules, Chief Commissioner.

Thank you to all witnesses for joining us on this very important bill. Each organization will have five minutes to make an opening statement. I would invite people to be succinct, because I’ll have to use the five minutes. I sense that there is a lot of support for this bill in the room, so the most important thing will be the questions that follow. I will let you guide yourselves accordingly.

Thank you, Mr. Daniels.

Next we’ll hear from the First Nations Financial Management Board, Mr. Harold Calla, Executive Chair.

Next we’ll hear from the First Nations Infrastructure Institute, Mr. Allan Claxton.

Thank you, Mr. Calla, and thank you to the First Nations Infrastructure Institute.

Now we will hear from the First Nations Tax Commission, Mr. Manny Jules, Chief Commissioner.

Thank you, Mr. Jules. Thank you to all of the panellists. This is probably one of the most important panels we’ve heard. So much to say, so little time to deal with this.

It’s four minutes and 50 seconds. I’m going to have to go to the next question, sir.

Thank you, witnesses, for that. That’s a very fulsome answer, if there are others who want to contribute to that answer, it’s an important question. It would have to be done in writing, I believe.

Are there any other senators who would like to ask a question?

Manny Jules would like to make a statement.

That’s a fitting note on which to end the panel. The panel has been very compelling and very helpful to the committee. I want to thank all the witnesses for coming and the good work that you have done. Hopefully, this bill will move quickly through the Senate in due course.

Before we adjourn, I would like to take a short moment to remind everyone that tomorrow we will be hosting our annual Voices of Youth Indigenous Leaders event with two meetings during the day, one at 11:30 and the other at 6:45, for two hours each. In anticipation of that, I’d like to ask the committee: Is it agreed that the committee allow electronic and photographic media coverage of its public meetings on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, with as little disruption of the meetings as possible?

Hon. Senators: Agreed.

Thank you.

Thank you, everyone, the meeting is now adjourned.

(The committee adjourned.)