Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe we are already losing because you cannot sell that product wholesale. You have to sell with a market cost built into the price. The person who is selling it makes a profit out of somebody else's craft or item they produced. That is where I have a problem.
People have taken advantage of First Nations people for how long when it comes to crafts, moccasins, et cetera. People at the YCI are making carvings and selling them for next to a dollar. The guy then turns around and sells it at the storefront operations and they make a mint out of it. That is where I have a problem.
This government has a responsibility to ensure there is an open market and people have the right to sell their products without having someone who has a storefront operation dictating to them exactly what the price of that item should be. If Joe wants to sell some in the corner store or out in front of the post office, he should be able to do that. But because he is competing against Walmart or Canadian Tire or these large conglomerates who can eat you up any day of the week, you can never compete against that type of competition. I think this government has to do more to ensure the regulations and restrictions that are put in place, especially for northern manufacturers and producers, are taken out. We need to allow those products to be sold on the open market. Imposing these measures on our own people is where I have a problem.