Inuvik/CMEDIA: While Canada’s PM Mark Carney reportedly discussed his government’s controversial major projects legislation with Inuit leaders Thursday, those leaders said they have a lot to work through with the federal government.
Co-hosted by Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee is being held in Inuvik, N.W.T.
Inuit have many questions about Bill C-5, or the One Canadian Economy Act, Obed said, and are hoping the meetings clarify the role they’ll play in Carney’s plans for a single Canadian economy.
The fact that the meeting was held so soon after the April election gives him the sense that the prime minister is willing to work with Inuit, Obed said in his opening remarks Thursday.
“We have a lot of issues that we need to work through,” he said. “There are actually 14 priority areas within the ICPC structure and 14 associated work plans. We look forward to getting back to work on some of those areas as well.”
The power to fast-track projects Ottawa considers to be in the national interest, was recently passed by One Canadian Economy Act which facilitates Canada in sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation.
Indigenous leaders have accused the federal government of failing to consult with them adequately when the legislation was being drafted and amended.
While criticizing the federal government over the legislation, Obed told senators who were studying it last month that Ottawa has been hypocritical in its approach to reconciliation and added that Canada’s pattern to present itself as a champion for Indigenous Peoples’ rights is “acting very differently through its legislation and through its practice.”
“I think of those things as being born not only out of ignorance, but out of a clear decision on whose rights matter and whose don’t, and how to get to an end goal that makes Canada feel good about itself while still trampling on the very rights that it says it upholds,” Obed said.
One Canadian Economy Act doesn’t respect those rights, Obed said and warned fast-tracked projects could cause significant delays to the government’s agenda and create instability and undermine investor confidence.
First Nations had already launched One court challenge asking a judge to find the legislation unconstitutional.
The day the bill was passed, Carney had promised to hold talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to get input on how to proceed with those projects.
Following Carney’s meeting with First Nations leaders in Ottawa last week, some chiefs said they had no clear idea of how the government plans to implement its agenda and added that they were left with more questions than answers.
Carney warned in his remarks Thursday that the region’s security is under threat and that there is much work to be done on closing infrastructure gaps and improving social services in the Arctic.
Carney also insisted that Bill C-5 “fully respects” treaty rights.
“It fully respects treaty-based environmental assessment processes,” said Carney. “In fact, those will be essential for anything that we move forward.
“What the act does is it creates conditions for the federal government to be more effective and efficient in our part of the partnership.”
Thursday’s meeting was also attended by several cabinet ministers, including Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty.
The news of Virginia Mearns’ appointment as Canada’s new Arctic ambassador was confirmed Thursday by the Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand’s office.
