Mr. Chair, for a long time it has been clear that federal governments have left indigenous communities behind. The state of infrastructure in many communities, as members know, means that indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19. Self-isolation and physical distancing are not practices that many indigenous communities are able to take part in, as a result of overcrowding and unsafe housing. Handwashing is difficult when people do not have access to clean drinking water.
Indigenous communities around the country have been clear that the response has not been adequate and, in particular, that the funding announced has not been enough. This week, National Chief Bellegarde called on the federal government to immediately release about 10% of all its future funding dedicated to its response to the COVID-19 pandemic directly to the first nations communities. Why is the government waiting to scale up to respond to the need and the scale of the need in indigenous communities?