
‘They need to do better': Mark Carney to meet with Indigenous leaders amid criticism of rapid-development law
Mark Carney's
legislative agenda: a controversial effort to accelerate approvals for mega projects deemed to be in the national interest.
The One Canadian Economy Act, or Bill C-5, as the law continues to be known, received royal assent in late June, a scant 20 days after the Liberals first tabled the legislation.
When it passed, the prime minister made a promise to take part in three, daylong summits with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to hash out 'joint expectations' around the law.
The first of those meetings — with First Nations chiefs, regional chiefs, modern treaty and self-governing First Nations, and tribal councils — is slated to kick off at the Canadian Museum of History on Wednesday, before a full day of discussions with Carney gets underway on Thursday.
'I know it's a new, young government, but at the same time, they should have had this discussion … before the passing of this bill,' Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, told the Star.
'I think the government made a mistake on that. I think that they need to do better.'
That's a sentiment echoed by many who wonder why the Carney government was open to meeting face-to-face with a range of Indigenous rights holders, but only after the contentious law was safely passed.
The part of the law dealing with major resource and infrastructure initiatives was designed to address challenges on two fronts: long-simmering frustrations with the lengthy approval processes associated with the projects, but also the trade crisis prompted by U.S. President Donald Trump's tumultuous return to the White House.
At issue is how the law grants Ottawa temporary powers to bypass existing environmental laws and regulations to fast-track 'nation-building' projects, which could include pipelines, ports and mines, and how it was rammed through Parliament without robust scrutiny.
While some changes were made to the bill after a compressed period of debate, some critics were left concerned that the government was running roughshod over Indigenous rights and environmental protections.
'In terms of the way things have unfolded, I think, the fact that this (summit) is taking place post all of those steps … meeting for the sake of meeting is not meaningful consultation,' said Deliah Bernard, a partner at Roots Strategies and former senior Indigenous affairs adviser for former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Bernard said proper consultation leads to the success of future projects, but that not ensuring that was the case here may be 'setting everyone up for failure.'
The Carney government has repeatedly insisted that Indigenous rights and environmental concerns were central to its drafting of the legislation, and that the law was crafted to prioritize the consultation process as projects are identified.
Last month, the Privy Council Office told the Star that 66 letters were sent to Indigenous groups to discuss the proposed law, that 15 meetings were held between the end of May and the beginning of June, and that as of late June, more than 125 groups had 'engaged' with Ottawa about the bill. The Privy Council Office did not provide a list of those groups, despite a request to do so.
Alvin Fiddler, Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), said on his way to Ottawa on Tuesday that the 'very last minute' nature of the summit has been complicated by a number of chiefs currently experiencing emergencies, including Pikangikum First Nation, which is grappling with a power outage and a wildfire-induced evacuation.
'They're worried about just trying to meet the basic needs of their membership, including food and water … and at the same time, trying to prep the rest of the leaders for the meetings that will happen this week,' Fiddler said.
Fiddler represents 49 First Nations in northern Ontario, including those near the Ring of Fire, a region rich in critical minerals like chromite, cobalt and copper.
It's a region Premier Doug Ford wants to swiftly declare a 'special economic zone' after his government passed a similar law last month.
On Tuesday, nine First Nations in Ontario launched a legal challenge over both the federal and provincial laws, seeking an injunction that would prohibit Ottawa from naming national interest projects and Ontario from implementing the zones.
'This is not about a battle between development and not,' Todd Cornelius, chief of Oneida Nation of the Thames, said in a press release. 'It is about doing things recklessly and doing things right.'
This week's hybrid summit will take place against the backdrop of such tensions, where across the Ottawa River from Parliament Hill, Carney, his ministers, and government officials will speak to and hear from chiefs and moderate a series of discussions.
In promising to host the summits last month, Carney said the goal was not to leave the gatherings with a list of confirmed projects, but to develop a 'shared understanding' of how projects can proceed.
While Woodhouse Nepinak said she appreciated the prime minister's willingness to ultimately come to the table, the national chief also said a single day of face time is not enough.
'We will be asking the prime minister to commit to another meeting one year from now,' she said.
With files from Canadian Press
Hashtags

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


Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
QS Earnings: QuantumScape Stock Drops Despite Beating Q2 Estimates
QuantumScape (QS) stock slipped in after-hours trading following the release of its second-quarter 2025 results. The solid-state battery maker posted a net loss of $0.20 per share, slightly better than analysts' forecast of a $0.21 loss, and an improvement from the $0.25 loss in the same quarter last year. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Further, the company ended Q2 with $797.5 million in liquidity, maintaining a cash runway into 2029. In a major update, QuantumScape said it has achieved its first annual goal by switching to its new Cobra process for making battery separators, replacing the older Raptor method. This upgrade is expected to allow the company to start shipping B1 samples later this year. QS Expands PowerCo Deal QuantumScape has expanded its collaboration and licensing agreement with Volkswagen Group's (VWAGY) battery subsidiary, PowerCo. Under the upgraded deal, PowerCo will provide up to $131 million in additional milestone-based payments over the next two years to support joint commercialization efforts. As part of the expanded agreement, PowerCo gains the right to produce up to an additional 5 GWh of QuantumScape cells annually, bringing its total potential to 85 GWh. The deal also gives PowerCo future rights to license advanced QuantumScape technology beyond the first-generation QSE-5 platform. QS Narrows Down 2025 Outlook Looking ahead, the company narrowed down the range of its full-year capex guidance to between $45 million and $65 million. Also, the range for adjusted EBITDA loss was narrowed between $250 million and $270 million. Is QS Stock a Good Buy? QS stock price target implies a 45.44% downside potential.


News24
3 hours ago
- News24
Godongwana announces big reforms after budget nightmare
Phando Jikelo/RSA Parliament Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
P.E.I. premier says he is '10 out of 10' confident bridge, ferry tolls will be reduced
Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz says after speaking with the prime minister during this week's Council of the Federation meetings that he is confident fares to cross the Confederation Bridge and use the Northumberland ferry service will be reduced soon. During the federal election campaign, Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to cut the bridge tolls by more than half and reduce the cost of ferry rates between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia by at least 50 per cent. So far, that hasn't happened. But after three days of meetings with his provincial counterparts and Carney wrapped up Wednesday, Lantz was asked how confident he is that the reductions would happen, on a scale one to 10. "I'm a 10 out of 10…. We're going to make this happen," he told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin. "It's my number one priority for the remainder of the summer to get this over the line." As for a timeline, Lantz said he couldn't specify one because there is a lot of administrative and legal work that has to be done first. 'Bumpy road with the United States' Also on the premiers' agenda at the meetings in Huntsville, Ont., was the prospect of Canada reaching a trade deal with the United States by next month. Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened even higher tariffs on Canadian goods that flow south of the border — the new 35 per cent rate is expected to apply to goods that are currently tariffed at 25 per cent beginning Aug. 1. Carney has insisted that the Canadian government will only sign a new trade agreement if there is one worth signing. Lantz said from the conversations at the meeting, it appears the federal government will stand firm and continue negotiations until there is a fair solution. While he believes that will likely happen before the Aug. 1 deadline, Lantz said he recognizes that dealing with Trump can be challenging. "Whether we come to an agreement on Aug. 1 or not, I think the reality is we'll continue to negotiate or have some sort of bumpy road with the United States in terms of our trading relationship," Lantz said. The premier said the relationship between the two countries has changed fundamentally, and that change may outlast Trump's administration. Lantz said he has faith that Carney is working hard and has a strategy to deal with Trump. "It's a very difficult, complex subject, but they're working hard and I hope that we have some sort of resolution on Aug. 1 to give us some certainty going forward," he said. Lantz takes over as chair of the Council of the Federation on Aug. 1. The next summer meeting of the Canadian premiers will take place in P.E.I. from July 21-23, 2026.