The premiers and territorial leaders were all smiles this week as they renewed their commitment to the $5.1 billion Kelowna Accord. To bad this commitment will only serve to pour more money into a failed system and not see the end of poverty on reserves.

Here's a quick refresher on the Kelowna Accord.

In late November, the First Ministers gathered in Kelowna for a two-day aboriginal summit. At the end of their discussions the prime minister at the time - Paul Martin - unveiled a "plan for action" to eradicate poverty on Canada's native reserves within the next 10 years. To aid this pledge, the government promised to spend a whopping $5.1 billion over the next five years.

The plan calls for the implementation of a health care blueprint, which is worth $1.3 billion; aboriginal education to see $1.8 billion for new aboriginal school boards and post-secondary bursaries; $20 million for engagement on land-claim and self-government rights; $1.6 billion to be spent on native housing; $200 million for economic development projects; and $170 million for relationships and accountability including $90 million to aboriginal organizations to boost their ability to "study" and "propose public policy".

These are all well and good but none of these plans would change the delivery or system of Indian affairs. All the plans would do is add ever increasing sums of money to fund a growing bureaucracy.

Under the current system, the delivery of programs is mainly in the hands of the Chiefs and councils. Since there is no separation between politics and administration on reserves - and there is no requirement to do so - everything on a reserve that is in any way related to band administration is politicized. This scenario provides the Chief and council with a tremendous amount of power and control over the community members. The Kelowna Accord's "plan for action" would only increase this power.

Furthermore, the lack of private property rights is one of the biggest problems adding to native poverty. Even with the limited forms of property ownership available to native Canadians on reserves, the communal arrangement imposed by the Indian Act produces problems for business owners and individuals because it is difficult to secure financing. Once again, the Kelowna Accord does not propose a solution.

Although the First Ministers may feel good committing to the eradication of poverty on Canada's reserves, the smiles will quickly fade and the poverty on Canada's Indian reserves will remain because the Kelowna Accord is not the answer.