Proposed fast-tracking of national projects 'serious threat' to treaty rights: AFN Chief
OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney's legislation to fast-track projects deemed in the national interest is expected to be tabled in the House of Commons in a matter of days but is already facing some resistance from the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).
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In a letter to Carney dated May 30 obtained by the National Post, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak wrote that the proposed bill, in its current form, 'suggests a serious threat to First Nations exercise of Treaty rights, inherent rights, title and jurisdiction.'
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Woodhouse Nepinak insisted First Nations' 'free, prior and informed consent' must be obtained before any major infrastructure and energy projects move ahead.
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'Otherwise, this legislation like so many before it, will become marred in conflict and protracted litigation, because First Nations rights have once again been ignored,' she wrote in an apparent warning to the newly-elected prime minister.
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Woodhouse Nepinak was asked to weigh in on the proposed legislation by senior officials of the Privy Council Office (PCO) who sent her a letter dated May 23.
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'Now more than ever, the future of Canada's economy depends on a collaborative and coordinated approach among federal, provincial, territorial and Indigenous governments,' wrote Christiane Fox, deputy clerk, and Mollie Johnson, deputy secretary to the cabinet.
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Carney held a first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon on Monday to discuss plans to knock down trade barriers and fast-track national projects. He also met with oil and gas executives, as well as Indigenous leaders, over the weekend about those plans.
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Fox and Johnson said the 'One Canadian Economy' legislation is expected to be tabled in early June. It will not only include a framework to remove federal barriers to internal trade but provide faster regulatory approval for projects through a new office for major projects.
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According to last week's speech from the throne, the government expects the time needed to approve projects to be reduced from five years to two through the creation of this new office, all while upholding Canada's 'constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples.'
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The government also vowed to strike co-operation agreements 'with every interested province and territory within six months to realize its goal of 'one project, one review.''
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