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Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Mark Carney meets with Indigenous leaders about controversial development law
GATINEAU — A summit between hundreds of First Nations representatives and the Liberal government about its major projects law began Thursday with Prime Minister Mark Carney's insistence that Ottawa and Indigenous people are on equal ground. 'The economic value of these projects will be shared with First Nations as partners. You will help build the prosperity of your communities for generations to come,' Carney told First Nations chiefs at the Canadian Museum of History, while other delegates tuned in virtually. 'By moving forward together, we can write a new chapter … in the relationship between the government of Canada and First Nations. This isn't an aspiration. It is the law,' the prime minister said. 'In many respects, this is the first federal legislation to put Indigenous economic growth at its core.' Carney was touting the Building Canada Act, part of a contentious piece of legislation known as Bill C-5. The law, a response to Canada's trade crisis with the United States, was rammed through Parliament last month and would grant Ottawa temporary powers to sidestep existing environmental laws and regulations to spur the development of 'nation-building' projects like pipelines, ports and mines. The law, and its rushed passage, sparked a deluge of concerns from critics that it could compromise Indigenous rights and environmental protections. Behind the scenes on Thursday, the prime minister's vision of partnership and progress was put to the test. Government officials only allowed media to observe Carney's opening speech, hustling reporters out of the Gatineau venue despite a desire from First Nations leadership to allow the public to hear from chiefs as well. 'I'm sorry you're all out here. We should have been in (there), and you should have been able to hear my speech,' Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters outside the museum. Woodhouse Nepinak said it was 'unfortunate' that media and the public were 'pushed out' of the remainder of the summit and said chiefs were not involved in the decision. On Wednesday, she said the AFN had not developed the agenda with government officials, while AFN New Brunswick Regional Chief Joanna Bernard said Ottawa was 'putting up the agenda' and 'deciding how this is going to proceed.' Agenda details were finalized in the days leading up to the summit, which kicked off with opening sessions on Wednesday before Carney's full-day confab the following morning. As of Thursday, the agenda featured four 'working sessions' moderated by more cabinet ministers than chiefs, with the final session, titled 'Working Together,' to be led by Carney and six members of his front bench. The sessions are expected to cover subjects including 'meaningful consultation,' the Indigenous Advisory Council in the legislation designed to ensure national-interest projects are chosen in tandem with rights-holders, and First Nations economic prosperity. Aside from the prime minister, seven federal ministers and a group of Liberal MPs, secretaries of state and parliamentary secretaries were present at the summit. Michael Sabia, clerk of the Privy Council, also made an appearance. Woodhouse Nepinak acknowledged Thursday that it had been many years since a prime minister had sat down with First Nations chiefs in this way. 'But I really think when the government organizes a meeting like this, to really talk to First Nations, that's so critically important,' she said. 'So we do call on the government to have a followup meeting one year from now.' Other demands to be raised by chiefs Thursday include reviving a bill that expired before the election ensuring clean water in First Nations communities, developing further efforts to close the First Nations infrastructure gap that has left communities lacking essentials like schools, homes and roads, and putting a renewed focus on First Nations policing services. 'I think (Carney) has got to come up with some commitments, firm commitments, hopefully by the end of this day and in the weeks ahead,' Woodhouse Nepinak said. Carney, speaking to reporters before his speech, said his focus for the day was not to identify nation-building projects but to listen to and engage with communities. When asked whether he felt he would reach a consensus with First Nations representatives about the law, he said, 'Yes, I do.' Summits with Inuit and Métis groups are expected to be held in the coming weeks and months.
5 days ago
- Politics
PM to speak with First Nations on major projects bill at Bill C-5 summit
Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to address First Nations leaders Thursday at a summit called to allay their concerns over the Liberal government's major projects legislation. The two-day summit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., launched Wednesday afternoon and runs all day Thursday. Bill C-5, passed last month, allows for fast-tracked approval for projects deemed to be in the national interest, such as pipelines, mines and ports. The bill sped through Parliament and was amended to require provincial consent for national projects but the Senate voted down (new window) Mi'kmaw Sen. Paul Prosper's proposed provision to include free, prior, and informed consent in the language of the bill. Our rights cannot be implemented or respected without us, in substance and in process, said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak at a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday. They cannot be respected after the fact. Woodhouse said the over 600 First Nations from across the country have a diversity of opinion on the legislation and the summit should have occurred prior to the bill's passing. She said she wants Carney to come to the table with meaningful amendments to Bill C-5 and solutions to the $350 billion gap in infrastructure for First Nations kids in this country. At the AFN news conference, Joanna Bernard from Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, AFN regional chief for New Brunswick, said Carney's summit isn't really consultation. They're coming in, they're putting up the agenda, they're deciding how this is going to proceed, but definitely it is not consultation. If it was we wouldn't be here, we would be running the agenda, and this is not the case today, said Bernard. WATCH | AFN National Chief on the summit: Carney has said Indigenous consultation is central to the major projects bill, but Indigenous leaders have said that's a difficult promise to trust without explicit amendments. Until an appropriate process founded in free, prior and informed consent is established between First Nations rights holders and the Crown, the Crown's legal obligations will not be met, said Woodhouse Nepinak. Chiefs have made it very clear that First Nation consent for major projects is not optional. On Monday, nine First Nations in Ontario filed a legal challenge against Bill C-5, and an Ontario law, Bill 5. The First Nations want the court to find the two laws unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has previously ruled First Nations have a right to be consulted on projects under Indigenous rights and title — but they do not have a final veto on if a project goes ahead. Edzi'u Loverin (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Edzi'u Loverin is graduate of CBC's Indigenous Pathways Program and has reported in Vancouver and Winnipeg since 2024. Edzi'u is a member of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation and a registered member of the Tahltan Nation, but is currently based in xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ territories. You can email Edzi'u at with story ideas. With files from Julia Alevato
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
PM to speak with First Nations on major projects bill at Bill C-5 summit
Prime Minister Mark Carney is scheduled to address First Nations leaders Thursday at a summit called to allay their concerns over the Liberal government's major projects legislation. The two-day summit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que., launched Wednesday afternoon and runs all day Thursday. Bill C-5, passed last month, allows for fast-tracked approval for projects deemed to be in the national interest, such as pipelines, mines and ports. The bill sped through Parliament and was amended to require provincial consent for national projects but the Senate voted down Mi'kmaw Sen. Paul Prosper's proposed provision to include free, prior, and informed consent in the language of the bill. "Our rights cannot be implemented or respected without us, in substance and in process," said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak at a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday. "They cannot be respected after the fact." Woodhouse said the over 600 First Nations from across the country have a diversity of opinion on the legislation and the summit should have occurred prior to the bill's passing. She said she wants Carney to come to the table with meaningful amendments to Bill C-5 and solutions to the "$350 billion gap in infrastructure for First Nations kids in this country." At the AFN news conference, Joanna Bernard from Madawaska Maliseet First Nation, AFN regional chief for New Brunswick, said Carney's summit isn't really consultation. "They're coming in, they're putting up the agenda, they're deciding how this is going to proceed, but definitely it is not consultation. If it was we wouldn't be here, we would be running the agenda, and this is not the case today," said has said Indigenous consultation is central to the major projects bill, but Indigenous leaders have said that's a difficult promise to trust without explicit amendments. "Until an appropriate process founded in free, prior and informed consent is established between First Nations rights holders and the Crown, the Crown's legal obligations will not be met," said Woodhouse Nepinak. "Chiefs have made it very clear that First Nation consent for major projects is not optional." On Monday, nine First Nations in Ontario filed a legal challenge against Bill C-5, and an Ontario law, Bill 5. The First Nations want the court to find the two laws unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has previously ruled First Nations have a right to be consulted on projects under Indigenous rights and title — but they do not have a final veto on if a project goes ahead.
National Observer
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
First Nations gather to meet with Carney over major projects law
First Nations leaders are meeting Thursday with Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal officials to discuss the controversial Bill C-5, which gave the federal government broad powers to fast-track major project approvals. The meeting came together quickly and chaotically, with many First Nations leaders noting the rushed process behind the bill. Indigenous leaders were not consulted on the new legislation, which they say runs roughshod over First Nations' rights and jurisdiction. The law grants cabinet the authority to override many environmental laws and regulations to get projects built if they are deemed to be in the national interest. At the meeting, Carney is scheduled to make a speech in the morning just before 9 a.m., followed by remarks from Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Cindy Woodhouse. There will be four working sessions throughout the day, pencilled in for 1.5 hours each, on topics like economic participation and the Indigenous advisory council created by the legislation. An official from the national chief's office said media are not allowed to sit in on the summit. The AFN said it had pushed for media to have full access for the entire event. Media is only allowed to attend Carney's remarks. The meetings will occur just days after nine First Nations in Ontario launched a legal challenge on the constitutionality of Bill C-5 and are seeking an injunction to block the bill until the court rules on the legal challenge. Regional Chief of the British Columbia AFN Terry Teegee said at a Wednesday press conference that for the meetings to be a success, there must be a 'solid commitment' from Carney that free, prior and informed consent will be required as part of any development. 'He has to also listen to First Nations leadership — more listening, rather than talking about how they want to proceed forward,' Woodhouse said at the press conference. 'The problem here … is that there are, potentially, going to be projects that are going to be very controversial, and it's those projects that I think the vast majority of chiefs are worried about,' said BC Regional Chief Terry Teegee She emphasized that some communities are 'ready to go,' while others do not support it. Others are still so busy dealing with issues on the ground that they do not yet know where they land on this polarizing issue, she said. The government needs to listen to leaders and ensure communities receive funding support to get their lawyers and technicians involved in major projects, she added. The government has committed to providing $40 million for capacity-building around consultations for the projects it proposes. There are 634 recognized First Nations bands in Canada. In some cases, First Nations favourable to Bill C-5 may already have projects in their communities they want advanced, and those are probably already going through the approval process anyway, Teegee said. 'The problem here … is that there are, potentially, going to be projects that are going to be very controversial, and it's those projects that I think the vast majority of chiefs are worried about,' he said. Teegee noted that Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is 'really pushing' for a pipeline to BC's north coast but said, 'We've been down that road, and it's a very difficult situation' to get approval for a project like that that requires approval from many First Nations. Wet'suwet'en Hereditary Chief Na'Moks and the Coastal GasLink pipeline are emblematic of this issue. The 670-kilometre-long natural gas pipeline is now operational, but years of opposition and blockades plagued the project. Although the company reached agreements with First Nation band councils (including Wet'suwet'en elected chiefs) along the route, hereditary Wet'suwet'en chiefs, including Na'Moks, opposed the project at every turn. At a press conference Wednesday, Na'Moks told reporters he didn't receive an invitation to the summit until last night when he was already in transit to Ottawa, after deciding he would travel there with or without a formal invitation. At a press conference on Wednesday, Carney said this summit with First Nations leaders is about 'how this can work, how we work together, [and] what are the priorities.' This isn't a discussion about specific projects, he added, and when specific projects are on the table, there will be consultations and consultations on the conditions that must be fulfilled for the projects to proceed.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
AFN national chief says fast-tracked projects bill should come with plan for infrastructure for reserves
OTTAWA — Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said the federal government will need to present a plan for how to get more infrastructure built on First Nations reserves as it tries to soothe concerns from chiefs over new powers to fast-track major infrastructure projects. Chiefs from across the country are preparing to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other senior ministers to discuss the Liberals' plan to shorten the approvals process for projects like ports and pipelines. First Nations have voiced concerns that fast tracking could neglect their land and treaty rights. The meeting, set to take place on Thursday, was announced as the legislation, known as Bill C-5, was passed before the House of Commons broke for summer . Carney said he hoped to address chiefs' concerns about ensuring the government upholds its duty to consult First Nations as it pledges to get more projects off the ground, facing economic threats from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I know Trump's at our borders, pushing colonialism,' Woodhouse Nepinak told reporters at a press conference in the Assembly of First Nations' (AFN) office in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday. 'We don't need more colonialism in our country. What we need is to get back to the table and to talk about these really hard things.' Regional chiefs and other chiefs from different communities spoke during the press conference about the persistent issues that those living on First Nations face in terms of lack of access to clean drinking water, roads and housing, as well as the number of young people dying in communities — issues that former prime minister Justin Trudeau had pledged to address. Woodhouse Nepinak said she hopes dealing with that infrastructure gap 'is on the table in a very serious way,' adding that the AFN and others have produced different reports over the years that highlight the chronic issue. The AFN, the country's largest organization representing more than 600 First Nation communities, has been vocal in its concerns about the pace at which the Liberals introduced and passed the major projects legislation, but has not been directly involved in planning the upcoming gathering or selecting speakers. On Wednesday, some of the chiefs expressed concern about having received the agenda late on Tuesday. A copy seen by National Post shows the federal government plans to have Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc discuss the consultation requirements outlined in the law as well as how projects would be selected. Other ministers expected to attend are Natural Resources and Energy Minister Tim Hodgson as well as Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, who is expected to address the issue of consultations. Members of the Liberals' Indigenous caucus are also expected to be on hand. Chiefs are also able to submit written questions. Woodhouse Nepinak acknowledged the agenda was still evolving and some feel the upcoming meeting is 'rushed,' but offered credit to Carney for agreeing with her ask to meet with chiefs, saying such a gathering ought to happen more often, given the last time she said one was staged was around 2012. The national chief said she has heard a diversity of views about the Liberals' plan to fast-track major infrastructure projects. While some chiefs have expressed concerns, she said others have expressed support. There have also been chiefs so consumed with dealing with other issues in their communities they do not yet have a position. 'We're going to give (Carney) the benefit of the doubt that he produces tomorrow,' Woodhouse Nepinak said. 'I think that he has to also listen to First Nations leadership, more listening, rather than talking about how they want to proceed forward.' The national chief and other First Nations leaders underlined how they saw Thursday's meeting as only the beginning of talks and should not be considered an act of consultation, something Carney confirmed at an unrelated news conference about tariffs in Hamilton, Ont. He said the new law was ' enabling legislation' that allows discussions to take place about what constitutes a project to be 'nation building' and the process that would follow to ensure rights-holders like First Nations would be consulted and be able to participate. Under the law, the federal cabinet would decide which projects would be added to a list that would allow the approvals process to be fast tracked through a yet-to-be-developed major-projects office. Carney has said the goal is to give selected projects the green light within two years, down from the current five. Terry Teegee, a regional chief representing British Columbia for the Assembly of First Nations, said he had a more skeptical take about the upcoming meeting. 'If this is a success, I think it's getting a solid commitment from the prime minister of discussions of how free, prior and informed consent will be implemented.' He said the problem lies in the fact there could be projects pitched 'that are going to be very controversial.' 'It's those projects that I think the vast majority of chiefs are worried about.' Teegee named as an example Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's desire to see a pipeline built from Alberta to B.C.'s northern coast , a route that has received widespread pushback from some First Nations in the area in the past. 'We've been down that road, and it's a very difficult situation.' National Post staylor@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
