
Canada poised to pass infrastructure bill despite pushback from Indigenous people
On its final day of sitting before breaking for summer, parliament is expected to vote on Bill C-5. The legislation promised by Mark Carney, the prime minister, during the federal election, is meant to strengthen Canada's economy amid a trade war launched by Donald Trump.
The bill removes interprovincial trade barriers and aims to prioritize infrastructure projects, such as energy pipelines and mines deemed to be in the national interest.
It is the latter portion of the bill that has caused concern among Indigenous communities over fears the government, granted broad powers, could speed up approvals for infrastructure and energy projects and override protest from Indigenous communities.
Ahead of the vote, Carney defended the legislation, which was amended earlier this week to ease concerns from Indigenous leadership.
'At the heart of this legislation is… not just respect for, but full embrace of, free, prior and informed consent. It has to be seen in parallel with very major measures that this government is taking to not just support those partnerships, but also to finance equity ownership in these nation-building projects for Indigenous peoples, Indigenous groups, Indigenous rights holders,' said Carney.
Under Canadian law, the crown has a 'duty to consult' Indigenous communities on projects that could adversely affect them. 'Consultation, co-operation, engagement, participation is at the heart of C-5 and that is how you build a nation. And that's very much how we've designed it,' Carney said.
While the bill says the government must consult Indigenous communities in cases where their rights are affected by a fast-tracked project, it also allows the Liberal cabinet to overrule any parliament for major projects.
The federal legislation comes as provinces also pass bills that speed up infrastructure projects. Ontario plans to create 'special economic zones' that would bypass all provincial laws, amid tensions between the premier and First Nations chiefs in areas slated for mining.
Doug Ford, Ontario's premier, provoked criticism earlier this week criticized for saying First Nations communities 'keep coming hat in hand all the time to the government' for more money. He apologized the following day after meeting with chiefs from the Anishinabek Nation, which represents 39 of Ontario's 133 First Nations chiefs.
'I get pretty passionate. And I just want to say, I sincerely apologize for my words, not only if it hurt all the chiefs in that room, but all First Nations,' said Ford. 'I get passionate because I want prosperity for their communities.'
Both the federal and provincial legislation reflect the friction between speedy resource and infrastructure development and the need to consult with affected communities that have been historically marginalized, both socially and economically.
Earlier this week Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, the Assembly of First Nations national chief, warned the federal bill was being 'rammed through' parliament.
'First Nations are united,' she told CBC News. 'They want prosperity, but they don't want it at the expense of our rights.'
Woodhouse Nepinak says she and other leaders across the country want the government to pause the bill for more study. But Carney is eager to pass the bill, fulfilling a campaign promise that his government would eliminate internal trade barriers by 1 July. Indigenous leaders have warned a failure to fully consult on the bill could lead to widespread national protests, akin to the Idle No More movement in 2012.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Eroding protections for public lands
'Public lands have tremendous bipartisan support in the state,' Lawson said in reference to her home state of Montana, about 30% of which is federal public land. 'Everybody from the wilderness advocates who want public land preserved in perpetuity to the hunters and anglers to the OHV (off-highway vehicle) Jeepers. Everybody loves public lands. Access to those public lands is so integral to daily life.' Deep budget and staffing cuts to the U.S. National Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management could affect their ability to effectively care for these lands at a time when they are experiencing record numbers of visitors. Last year, national parks welcomed more than 332 million visitors, a new high, up 6 million from 2023. The National Park System has lost 24% of its permanent staff since Trump returned to office in January, according to the National Parks Conservation Association, a watchdog advocacy group. The association attributes much of the drop to job cuts and staff taking buyouts offered by Trump's administration. And, the National Forest Service cut about 10% of its workforce as part of the administration's campaign to reduce spending. This legislation that Trump signed also rescinded funding for conservation and climate resilience projects in national parks and Bureau of Land Management land that was provided in a law signed by his predecessor Joe Biden called the Inflation Reduction Act. 'Unleashing America's economic potential goes hand-in-hand with preserving our public lands, as years of mismanagement, regulatory overreach and neglect of routine management have hindered outdoor recreation opportunities,' the White House said in a statement to Reuters. Leshy said budget and staffing cuts could be a strategic move by U.S. officials who have long wanted to dispose of public land, pointing to Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget and a force behind the Project 2025 initiative that laid out a conservative blueprint for reshaping the U.S. government. 'I think they've decided, looking at the opinion polls, that it's not popular and it's not wise to press for outright selling off or disposing, transferring federal lands. So what they're doing instead is hollowing out their management, is slashing their budgets and slashing the personnel,' Leshy said. 'The aim is, 'Let's make federal management so bad and so dismal that it will change public opinion,'' Leshy added.


The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
WeightWatchers boss says ‘exciting work to do' amid impact of weight loss jabs
WeightWatchers was slower to adapt to the emergence of anti-obesity jabs than rivals, its boss has admitted, as the 62-year-old brand strives to catch up with rapidly evolving attitudes towards weight loss. Tara Comonte, chief executive of the US-based business, said it had a lot of work to do after going through a 'reset'. WeightWatchers recently announced it had emerged from bankruptcy after writing off a portion of the 1.15 billion US dollar (£860 million) debt on its balance sheet. It came as the business was competing with the emergence of GLP-1s – the scientific term for weight loss jabs, which work by reducing food cravings – and a new wave of apps and advice spreading on social media. Ms Comonte told the PA news agency that it 'wasn't as quick to medical weight loss solutions' as some other firms in the US, notably so-called 'telehealth' businesses that offer healthcare remotely. WeightWatchers, which runs some 20,000 workshops each month globally, is now 'at the beginning of the journey' towards forging a new place in the industry and meeting demand from current and future members, Ms Comonte said. 'This whole industry is going through somewhat of a reset and we have exciting work to do,' she told the PA news agency. 'This is a moment where, possibly more than ever before, people are talking about weight, and weight health… where people are seeking more education than ever before, and there are more voices than ever before.' Ms Comonte said the brand was known for 'trust and science' and it was important to harness that 'as there are more and more voices in the ecosystem'. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. It forms part of its efforts to muscle into the market by offering behavioural strategies and community-based support to people using or coming off the medication. 'There's no 'us and them' anymore,' Ms Comonte told PA, hitting back at weight loss jabs often being pitted as rivals to its model. Dr Kim Boyde, WeightWatchers' newly appointed chief medical officer, said not all its members will want or need weight loss medication – but stressed that it was 'imperative' the programme offers it to those that might benefit. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs. Health officials have suggested that they can help to turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects.


The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Investigators quiz jailed Ghislaine Maxwell about Prince Andrew, claim reports
INVESTIGATORS quizzed jailed madam Ghislaine Maxwell about Prince Andrew, it is reported. She answered 'honestly and truthfully' during nine hours of questions. 3 3 US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked her about more than 100 people linked to her paedophile ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. Brit socialite Maxwell, 63, is serving 20 years in Florida after being convicted of offences including sex trafficking. The meeting came after President Donald Trump faced questions over his own links to Epstein, who killed himself in jail awaiting trial in 2019. A source, quoted by The Mail on Sunday, said: 'Ghislaine has never told her story to anyone in government before. 'At times it was very emotional but she answered every question asked of her. 'She was asked about a list of people including Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz and powerful Wall Street financiers. 'It's ironic that Elon Musk kicked this whole thing off when he fell out with Trump and then made that post on X about Trump allegedly preventing the release of the full Epstein documents as some sort of 'cover-up'. 'Well, Elon is in there, as is his brother. "It was a monumental moment for Ghislaine to finally be asked about these people and to tell the truth.' Jeffrey Epstein's brother insists he was 'most likely murdered' amid mystery around 'missing minute' of 'suicide' video 3