Latest news with #TapiriitKanatami
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Inuit leader sees opportunities in the new faces of Mark Carney's government
OTTAWA — Trust is not something Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, often associates with Ottawa. 'The federal government writ large, whether or not we're talking about a political party or the institution itself, has never shown itself to be trustworthy to Inuit,' Obed said in an interview with the Star on Friday. Following a closed-door meeting on Thursday with Prime Minister Mark Carney, nearly a third of Carney's cabinet and other Inuit leaders about the Liberals' major projects law and other priorities, Obed said new faces can sometimes lead to new opportunities. 'I would say that we have a lot of really trustworthy people at the table, and that came through quite clearly,' he said, naming cabinet newcomers like Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, Northern and Arctic Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand and Crown-Indigenous Affairs Minister Rebecca Alty as the members of Carney's front bench responsible for the relationship between Inuit and the Crown. Obed also said he was satisfied by Carney's assurances that modern treaties, and the processes tied to those agreements, will be respected following the rushed passage of the Building Canada Act, which allows Ottawa to temporarily bypass certain environmental laws and regulations to fast-track 'nation-building' projects like ports and pipelines. 'That is a statement that's powerful and one that we have chosen to trust the prime minister on, and we really hope that he lives up to his word on it,' Obed said. The ITK president co-chaired a meeting Thursday of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee — a group that convenes Inuit leaders and the federal cabinet three times a year — with the prime minister, as part of a series of summits Carney is holding with Indigenous leaders after the controversial law prompted backlash for its potential to steamroll Indigenous rights and environmental protections. At the gathering in Inuvik, N.W.T., Carney announced the appointment of Nunavut's Virginia Mearns as the country's official Arctic ambassador. She now has a mandate to liaise with Arctic and non-Arctic partners and protect Arctic sovereignty. Other challenges raised in the meeting included the health and social disparities experienced across Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland that spans four regions in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, northern Quebec and northern Labrador. 'The prime minister himself said that these issues would not be left behind,' said Obed, who also spoke with Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne about his expectations for this fall's federal budget. 'We talked about … our budget submission, and our hopes for this budget, especially in regards to health, education, infrastructure, housing,' he said. 'And I hope that we can find a common path where we can make the proper investments and still build our communities at the same time, and be incredibly supportive and work on these nation-building projects as well.' Last month, Obed warned the Senate that it is 'Canada's weakness that it pats itself on the back for being a great champion of Indigenous Peoples, an upholder of the rule of law and respect for Indigenous Peoples' rights, while at the same time acting very differently through its legislation and practices.' He was speaking to senators about the 'unintended consequences' of the proposed law, then known as Bill C-5, including potential infringements on Inuit-Crown treaties. 'Not only does this not live up to Canada's obligation to respect rights, but it creates the possibility of national interest projects ending up before the courts, with litigation causing significant delays in the national interest projects moving forward,' Obed said at the time. He told the Star that Inuit groups looked at 10-year infrastructure needs and identified 79 projects, which they discussed with ministers on Thursday with the goal of drawing up a shorter list of feasible goals. 'Our communities are saying we still need essential infrastructure. We need roads. We need ports. We need the ability to land on runways that have lights, or that are paved. We still have essential concerns around health and education, around food security,' he said. 'And so these national projects are a part of a larger whole.' He named several projects, like the Grays Bay Road and Port project, a transportation corridor to Arctic shipping routes, and the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link project, which would connect part of Nunavut to Manitoba's power grid, as Inuit-led initiatives that would benefit Canada's economy. ' So that's part of the next step, is to really co-ordinate as best we can, not only with our communities, but also with public governments to ensure that the listed projects under C-5, meet the needs of Inuit, meet the needs of public governments, and are in the national interest.'
National Observer
6 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Carney talking major projects with Inuit leaders in Inuvik
An Inuit leader who met Thursday with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss the federal government's controversial major projects legislation says he has been assured the bill respects treaty rights. Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, told reporters in Inuvik, N.W.T., that leaders attending the meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee with Carney have had a "fulsome conversation" about Bill C-5. "We've had reassurances that the bill … will not interrupt the processes under our modern treaties and that there will be full partnership of Inuit within these processes," he said. Carney spent much of Thursday meeting with Inuit leaders to discuss the legislation, also known as the One Canadian Economy Act. Ahead of the meeting, Inuit leaders said they had a lot to work through with the federal government. During an afternoon break in the meeting, Obed said Carney was unequivocal in saying the legislation would not violate modern treaties. "When it comes to project reviews, the focus has been on what types of nation-building projects are Inuit interested in building, how can we identify those projects together, and then, how can we make good on those projects by implementing them," he said. Inuit leaders said they've received reassurances that the bill will not interrupt the processes under their modern treaties with Canada, and that their people will be invited to participate in full partnership with Carney's government. "So the prime minister and his cabinet ministers couldn't have been any clearer in their assurances to Inuit leadership about the upholding of the constitutionally protected agreements that we have with the Crown." The recently passed One Canadian Economy Act gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it considers to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation. Some Indigenous leaders have accused the federal government of failing to consult with them adequately when the legislation was being drafted and amended. Obed previously criticized the federal government over the legislation and told senators studying it last month that Ottawa has been hypocritical in its approach to reconciliation. He said at the time the legislation doesn't respect Indigenous Peoples' rights and warned that fast-tracked projects could end up before the courts. One court challenge has already been launched by First Nations asking a judge to find the legislation unconstitutional. Carney promised the day the bill was passed to hold talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to get input on how projects can proceed. After Carney met with First Nations leaders in Ottawa last week, some chiefs said they were left with more questions than answers and no clear idea of how the government plans to implement its agenda. In his opening remarks Thursday, Carney said there's much work to be done on closing infrastructure gaps and improving social services in the Arctic, and warned that the region's security is under threat. He 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." Several cabinet ministers, including Northern Affairs Minister Rebecca Chartrand and Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, also attended Thursday's meeting. — With files from Alessia Passafiume and Dylan Robertson in Ottawa.
6 days ago
- Politics
Inuit leader says he's been reassured Bill C-5 won't violate modern treaties
The president of the national Inuit organization says he's been given reassurances that Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to fast-track major nation-building projects won't violate modern treaties and there will be full partnership of the Inuit within these processes. The prime minister is meeting with Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and other Inuit leaders in Inuvik, NW.T., as he ramps up his outreach to Indigenous communities about his plans for major projects in Canada. [Carney] was unequivocal in stating that this legislation will not interrupt the processes that have been set up under our modern treaties when it comes to environmental assessment, when it comes to project reviews, Obed told reporters Thursday afternoon. When asked whether land claim organizations have a veto, Obed said provisions in their agreements could be defined as vetoes, but really we see them as enabling. He said Inuit have spent the last 40 years trying to figure out how to create circumstances where we are a part of the process all the way through. Inuvik, one of Canada's northernmost towns, is hosting the prime minister, several cabinet ministers and Inuit leaders for what's known as the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee. Carney and Obed are co-chairing the meeting, which is expected to have a heavy focus on the Liberal government's major projects law. WATCH | Natan Obed on C-5 and treaty rights: The law, known as Bill C-5, enables the federal cabinet to invoke emergency-like powers for projects deemed in the national interest, such as pipelines, railways and transmission lines, allowing the government to approve them upfront. That approval comes even before an environmental assessment and the Crown's constitutional duty to consult affected Indigenous communities is complete. Carney held a similar summit in Gatineau, Que., with First Nations chiefs earlier this month. Some said they supported his efforts, while others stormed out — calling it political theatre. First Nations in Ontario have launched a court challenge (new window) to C-5 and a similar provincial law. I'm looking forward to hearing from the prime minister himself regarding how he intends to work with us, said Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, which represents six Inuit communities in the western Arctic, including Inuvik, ahead of the meeting. However, there are concerns that the upfront approvals enabled by C-5 could override northern environmental and development assessment regimes. These reviews are fundamental components of the modern treaties (new window) that the federal government signed with Inuit and northern First Nations starting in the 1970s. WATCH | Carney says major projects law respects treaty rights: In his remarks opening the meeting, Carney addressed those worries. The act fully respects treaty rights, including modern treaties, Carney said. It fully respects treaty-based environmental assessment processes. In fact, those will be essential for anything that we move forward on. In addition to discussing major projects, Carney said the meetings will address issues related to Arctic security, defence, education, health and social services for people in the region. The prime minister also announced that Canada is appointing its first Arctic ambassador to advance the interests of the North internationally. Nunavut-based Inuit leader Virginia Mearns was named to that role (new window) . Northern politicians and Inuit leaders have been pitching Inuit-backed projects, hoping they will be among those deemed to be in the national interest. One such project is the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, with the goal of connecting Nunavut's mainland communities to Manitoba's power grid and joining the rest of the country in enjoying high-speed fibre-optic internet. Another, the Grays Bay Port and Road project, could offer Nunavut easier access to its resource-rich areas and western provinces a direct link to the Northwest Passage. WATCH | More about the port and road project: A subsidiary of the region's Kitikmeot Inuit Association (new window) is proposing to build a deepwater port on Nunavut's mainland in the Coronation Gulf. It's kind of a win-win situation for everybody, said Fred Pedersen, the executive director of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association. He said taxes and royalties earned from the economic development made possible by the port and road would cover the cost in a matter of years. It has so much potential for critical minerals. It will open up, but also it will assert our sovereignty in the Arctic, said Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok. The project is currently undergoing the territorial environmental review process, but already has the backing of Akeeagok and N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson. Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok says infrastructure projects in his territory would strengthen Arctic sovereignty. Photo: The Canadian Press / Liam Richards N.W.T. also wants a road down the Mackenzie Valley, which Simpson sees as a critical defence link. The former executive director of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, Tom Hoefer, notes that much of what the North considers a project in the national interest is basic infrastructure that most communities in the rest of the country already have. They've been underinvested in by Canada over the last 50 years, Hoefer, who was born and raised in the North, told CBC News in an interview. And so we've sort of been asleep at the switch on that front. Smith, of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, told CBC News he will be raising these gaps with the prime minister at Thursday's meeting. Inuvik trucks propane about 2,000 kilometres from B.C. and up the gravel-packed Dempster Highway, at tremendous cost, especially when, Smith and others point out, the region sits on substantial natural gas reserves. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation is attempting to develop a well outside Inuvik to provide a domestic solution to what Smith calls concerns over energy security. At the same time, Inuvialuit leaders say concerns over food security, housing and health care must be addressed. My region right now doesn't even have dental services. So people have to get sent close to a thousand kilometres to the nearest dental facility, if not further, Smith said. The average Canadian would not accept that. David Thurton (new window) · CBC News · Senior reporter, Parliamentary Correspondent David Thurton is a senior reporter in CBC's Parliamentary Bureau. He covers daily politics in the nation's capital and specializes in environment and energy policy. Born in Canada but raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he's moved around more times than he can count. He's worked for CBC in several provinces and territories, including Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He can be reached at LinkedIn (new window) Twitter (new window)
CBC
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
'We've had reassurances' Bill C-5 won't violate modern treaties, Inuit leader says
Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, says there will be 'full partnership of Inuit within these processes' as major projects are assessed under the Liberals' Bill C-5.
National Observer
7 days ago
- Business
- National Observer
Carney talks major projects with Inuit leaders in Inuvik
Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Inuit leaders today to discuss his government's controversial major projects legislation. The meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee will be co-hosted by Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, in Inuvik, N.W.T. Obed says Inuit have many questions about Bill C-5 and are hoping the meetings provide clarity on the role they play in a single Canadian economy. The recently passed One Canadian Economy Act gives Ottawa the power to fast-track projects it deems to be in the national interest by 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, and Carney has promised to hold talks with First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders to get input on how projects can proceed. After Carney met with First Nations leaders in Ottawa last week, some chiefs said they were left with more questions than answers and no clear idea of how the government plans to implement its agenda. In a video posted to social media Wednesday, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said the meeting is a forum for discussing how to move projects forward in a mutually beneficial manner while respecting Inuit sovereignty rights.
