
Indigenous services minister says First Nations support for developments ‘critical'
OTTAWA - The federal minister of Indigenous services says she and the other Indigenous members of cabinet support their party's plan to fast-track infrastructure development — despite significant pushback from First Nations leaders.
Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said Tuesday that Prime Minister Mark Carney has 'reaffirmed' First Nations will be included in discussions about projects the federal government could fast-track under pending legislation, and that their input is 'critical' to allowing those projects to move forward.
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National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Carson Jerema: Carney ignores his own constitutional power to approve pipelines
Mark Carney isn't interested in being prime minister of Canada. Sure, he may like the title, the presumed prestige that comes with it, as well as meetings with Donald Trump, but when it comes down to the authority the federal government possesses, he'd rather defer to the provinces. He doesn't want to be the leader of the sovereign nation of Canada, he wants to be a project manager for B.C., Quebec and Ontario. Article content Article content At a news conference Friday to discuss his One Canadian Economy legislation, Carney claimed it would streamline the approval of projects deemed in the 'national interest,' and said it was a 'bill that meets this hinge moment' with 'urgency' and 'determination.' The prime minister spoke of how 'it's become much too difficult to build in this country' and that the 'federal government' will 'identify and expedite nation building projects.' Article content Article content Except by 'urgency' and 'determination' Carney means not a streamlined process, but another regulatory regime on top of all the others. And, crucially, when Carney talks about 'nation building' and the 'national interest,' he doesn't mean anything that would be in Canada's interests but would, instead, cede power to the provinces, giving them a veto over infrastructure projects. Article content When asked by a reporter about whether pipelines would be approved over objections from B.C. or Quebec, Carney responded as if Ottawa didn't have the clear authority to do so. 'No. Simply no, we must have a consensus of all the provinces and the Indigenous people,' he said. If that wasn't clear, Carney added, 'if a province doesn't want it, it's impossible.' Article content Article content To drive home an apparent ignorance of Canada's constitution, Carney also said, 'It is not the choice of the federal government.' Article content Article content However, this is incorrect. While the Liberals may choose to not exercise their constitutional powers, it is most definitely Ottawa's 'choice.' Section 92 (10) of the Constitution explicitly grants the federal government power over 'Works and Undertakings connecting' a province 'with any other or others of the Provinces, or extending beyond the Limits of the Province.' Ottawa also has authority over any projects 'declared by the Parliament of Canada to be for the general Advantage of Canada or for the Advantage of Two or more of the Provinces,' even if such projects exist entirely within a single province. Article content What this means is that if Ottawa wants a pipeline that crosses provincial borders, it is entirely within its rights to approve it, even over the objection of provincial obstructionists, be they in B.C. or Quebec. It is a power that could not be more clear and it is one that has been backed up by the courts. In 2019, for example, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled against the provincial government, which was seeking a reference on whether it had the power to put conditions on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, which exports heavy oil from Alberta, through, B.C. and to the West coast. The ruling stated that this was 'not within the authority of the Legislature.'


CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
$33B in construction spending for Labrador megaprojects is welcome news for industry
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Letters to the editor, June 7: ‘The AI revolution needs thoughtful regulation'
Re 'In its bid to rescue Afghans, Ottawa is fracturing their families' (Opinion, May 31): I can only imagine the relentlessly pounding and debilitating terror one must feel while anxiously awaiting safe passage out of Pakistan. I cannot understand why the Canadian immigration system is unable or, I shudder to think, unwilling to fix its flaw and expedite family unification on Canadian soil, given that many of these Afghans were indispensable allies for Canadians stationed in Afghanistan during the war. Perhaps a few terse pointers from Mark Carney could do the trick. Elsewhere, nearly 60 Afghan women's rights defenders have also been hiding in Pakistan ('Afghan women activists in Pakistan fear deportation as country cracks down on refugees' – April 22). Surely the Canadian government can do something to help these courageous women escape the awaiting brutality of both the Pakistani police and the Taliban. L.H. MacKenzie Vancouver Re 'A real reform mandate for the first federal AI minister' (Editorial, May 31): The artificial intelligence revolution needs thoughtful regulation. Another important AI-specific element of Evan Solomon's mandate letter should be policies to promote deployment of digital technologies by Canadian business to reskill and upskill our workforce, and to develop new products and services. Canada lags many countries, especially the United States, with the digital economy previously estimated by the Bank of Canada to account for as little as 5.5 per cent of GDP. Moreover, research shows that Canada faces serious digital skill shortages that are impacting labour supply, business efficiencies and growth. In the Industrial Revolution, it was the deployment of the steam engine that spurred economic growth through innovations worldwide. We should keep in mind that in the past, shared prosperity emerged only when technological advances were made to work for everyone. Which brings us back to the importance of sound regulation. Paul Jenkins Ottawa Re 'How to win a trade war: Canada, Trump and a delicate dance in asymmetric warfare' (Report on Business, May 31): 'Play defence: Reform our corporate tax regime.' One thing I am almost certain of in life is that corporate tax experts will never say such taxes are too low; they are always too high. The result is a race to the bottom, where less and less government revenue comes from corporate taxes. Where that process ends is obvious to me. How about approaching the issue from a different perspective: Who benefits from government spending? Canada has a track record of providing a safe, law-abiding environment within which corporations and their shareholders can have confidence that business can prosper. Should not the beneficiaries of programs requiring government expenditures to create that environment (defence spending being an example) pay their fair share of the costs? 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We are all in this together. Joshua Levy Montreal Re 'Cattle have roamed Cambridge's city centre for hundreds of years. GPS is keeping the tradition going' (June 4): Very charming tradition. However, one minor – major? – problem has not been mentioned. I am talking about the rather copious amounts of 'pasture pastry' from each of the lovely beasts. How does the city deal with it: Cow diapers? Udder underwear? Just asking. Baily Seshagiri Ottawa Re 'I no longer knew how to find God, so nature became my church' (First Person, June 5): In a COVID-19 world, some have not returned to church. However, as rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, 'faith is faithfulness.' Authentic worship is a discipline, an exercise. It is not only about what we receive, it is about what we give. As the essay-writer acknowledges, there is no similar community in communing with nature. I used to say that the church would always be there when people choose to return to it. Not any more. Many congregations struggle to survive. When people do not attend their local church, they often do not support it. If she chooses to go back to church one day, I hope it is there for her. Keith McKee Reverend London, Ont. I appreciate the essay-writer's awakening to the world around her in nature. I call nature God's first scripture. The parallels between outdoor sanctuary and wooden pews and stained glass are true: They are spaces to inspire, to inhale the spirit. I don't go to church to meet God; God is everywhere. I go to meet others along the way, and am determined to create a space where we are awakened, comforted, tear-soaked and then sent outdoors to nature ready to bring love to feed the lost and lonely creatures of the world. For me, there is a call to engage and transform the world, one goldfinch or silver-haired human at a time. John Pentland Reverend Hillhurst United Church; Calgary .................................................................................................................................. Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@