Mr. Chair, I have some questions for the minister or the parliamentary secretary.
First, I would like to take a bit of time to speak about the action that our government is taking to assist aboriginal people in building strong foundations for economic development.
Our government's top priorities are jobs and economic growth for all Canadians. These priorities are crucial when it comes to achieving our goal of healthier, more prosperous aboriginal communities. We recognize that aboriginal people need access to a range of tools and supports to help build strong communities that reach their full potential.
To that end, our government is working to turn opportunities into realities, like economic growth and increased job creation. I would like to take this opportunity to tell members about some of the initiatives our government has undertaken to achieve this.
A great example of the concrete steps that we are taking to enable first nations to assume greater control over their day-to-day affairs and access economic development opportunities is the first nations land management regime. By joining the first nations land management regime, a first nations-led initiative, participating first nations can opt out of 32 land-related sections of the Indian Act and enact their own laws and codes related to the development, use and possession of reserve lands. Operating under their own land codes, FNLM first nations are able to operate at the speed of business and compete for opportunities on a level playing field with non-aboriginal organizations.
There has been significant progress made under the first nations land management regime over the past few years. I am very proud of what our government has accomplished on this front.
In short, we have collaborated with willing partners to create conditions for economic development on reserve. However, none of this would be possible without the buy-in from first nations and, fortunately, many first nations have shown great interest in opting into the first nations land management regime. This is why our government has invested in the first nations land management regime, so that more first nations can take advantage of these economic opportunities that it creates.
The economic action plan of 2013 invested $9 million over two years for the expansion of the first nations land management regime to provide additional first nations with the opportunity to manage the development, conservation, use and possession of reserve lands. This investment added 36 first nations to the regime, bringing the total number of first nations to 94 across the country that are taking advantage of this opportunity.
Building on this investment, economic action plan 2015 proposes to provide $30.3 million over five years, which is expected to lead an additional 25 first nations to joining the first nations land management regime. These measures would attract investment and create jobs. They would open a path to greater prosperity and create greater self-sufficiency for first nations communities.
Chief Robert Louie, chair of the First Nations Land Advisory Board, said:
Just recently, the international firm KPMG completed a study on the benefits of the Framework Agreement for all the participating First Nations. Investments on reserve now are estimated at $270 million and thousands of on-reserve jobs are being created for both members and non-members. Our First Nations are forging new partnerships with businesses, investors, bankers as well as with provincial and municipal governments...We are on the verge of a new era of prosperity for our communities—
While there are many first nations across the country that have achieved success under the first nations land management regime, I will briefly raise an example of one success story.
The Henvey Inlet First Nation, located about an hour south of Sudbury, Ontario, started operating under the regime in 2010. In 2014, the first nation signed an agreement with Pattern Energy Group LP to jointly develop, own and operate the 300-megawatt Henvey Inlet wind project, the largest first nations wind project in Canada. The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Ontario government.
The project is expected to create local jobs and to provide a significant source of revenue for the first nation. This opportunity would likely not have been available to the Henvey Inlet First Nation without the first nations land management regime. Our Conservative government believes this regime is essential for first nations to reap the benefits of self-sustaining economic growth and prosperity.
Another important tool available to first nations to increase their access to capital and spur economic development is the First Nations Fiscal Management Act. This opt-in legislation enables first nations across Canada to strengthen their property tax systems and refine their financial management regimes. It provides them with additional revenue-raising tools, strong standards for accountability and access to capital markets available to other levels of government, such as municipalities.
The First Nations Fiscal Management Act has been very successful with strong and sustained demand for first nations to participate in that regime. To date, 158 first nations have chosen to participate in the regime, with 82 now collecting property tax, 52 having received financial performance certification and 44 accepted as borrowing members.
While the results are already impressive, there is still work to be done to improve the regime. Just last week, our government introduced amendments to the act in the budget implementation act of 2015. These proposed amendments would improve the act's overall efficiency, reduce needless red tape and help facilitate access to the regime so that more first nations can reap its benefits.
The strategic partnerships initiative is another program aimed at encouraging economic development on reserve. Launched in 2010, this initiative increases aboriginal participation in complex economic opportunities, particularly in the natural resource sectors. It encourages engagement between first nations, industry and all levels of government. It provides first nations with jobs and skills training to prepare them for the labour market. For example, our government invested $7.3 million through the strategic partnerships initiative to support aboriginal participation in the development of northern Quebec, particularly in major mining projects in the Labrador Trough.
We are committed to working with first nations and aboriginal communities, with provinces and territories, and with the private sector to realize the nearly limitless potential of first nations communities. We are committed to helping industry to find the skilled workers that it needs and to ensuring aboriginal people have access to the education and training that they need to fill those roles.
For example, since 2013, our government has helped to provide over 5,000 first nations youth on income assistance between the ages of 18 and 24 with personalized jobs and skills training so that they can enjoy the benefits of a good job. This is part of our government's focus on jobs, growth and prosperity, a focus that continues with economic action plan 2015.
Our new budget commits $249 million over five years to support aboriginal participation in the labour market. Of this amount, $215 million will go to the skills and partnership fund to work with our partners in business and government to provide skills development and training for aboriginal people.
Increasing aboriginal participation in the economy is the most effective way to improve the well-being and the quality of life of aboriginal peoples in Canada. As you have just heard, Mr. Chair, this government is finding innovative ways of doing just that.
If I could now just ask some questions of the parliamentary secretary, Mr. Chair.
First of all, our government takes tremendous pride in our economic record. We certainly understand that economic development is necessary in order to improve the quality of life of all Canadians. This is no different when it comes to Canada's aboriginal people. I think that we can all agree that the road to healthy, prosperous and self-sufficient first nations involves economic development.
With that being said, there are obviously some barriers to first nations economic development, many of which are actually enshrined in the Indian Act itself.
Could the parliamentary secretary describe what our government is doing to overcome these barriers and drive economic development on reserve?