Bill C-10

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act

An Act respecting the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation

Sponsor

Rebecca Alty Liberal

Status

Bill passed the House, now waiting to be considered in the Senate, as of Sept. 21, 2026

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Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment provides for the appointment of a Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation to conduct reviews and performance audits of the activities of government institutions related to the implementation of modern treaties. It also establishes the Office of the Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation for the purpose of assisting the Commissioner in the fulfillment of their mandate and the exercise of their powers and the performance of their duties and functions. Finally, it makes consequential amendments to other Acts.

Similar bills

C-77 (44th Parliament, 1st session) Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation Act

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-10s:

C-10 (2022) Law An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19

C-10 (2020) An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts

C-10 (2020) Law Appropriation Act No. 4, 2019-20

C-10 (2016) Law An Act to amend the Air Canada Public Participation Act and to provide for certain other measures

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-10 proposes establishing an independent Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation. This office would audit and publicly report on federal adherence to modern treaty obligations, aiming to enhance transparency and accountability in how the government fulfills its commitments to Indigenous treaty partners.

Liberal

Establishing independent federal oversight: The party supports creating an independent commissioner to conduct expert oversight and report to Parliament, ensuring the federal government is held transparently accountable for fulfilling its modern treaty obligations.
Co-developed with indigenous partners: Members emphasize that the legislation was co-developed with indigenous modern treaty partners to ensure the commissioner's mandate and authorities directly address the implementation challenges identified by indigenous communities.
Driving economic prosperity: The party argues that effective treaty implementation acts as an engine for economic growth, creating investment certainty and supporting indigenous-led major projects in sectors like energy, infrastructure, and natural resources.
Addressing systemic federal inconsistency: Liberal members highlight that a specialized commissioner will help overcome inconsistent treaty interpretations across various federal departments, ensuring a more coordinated and respectful whole-of-government approach to constitutional commitments.

Conservative

Opposes redundant bureaucratic oversight: The Conservatives oppose the bill, arguing that creating another federal office is redundant because the Auditor General and numerous other departments already monitor treaty implementation without producing meaningful change.
Prioritizes action over new reports: The party contends that reconciliation requires tangible results on the ground, such as housing and treatment services, rather than the appearance of action provided by more reports and bureaucratic structures.
Demands direct ministerial accountability: Members argue that the responsibility for fulfilling treaty obligations rests with ministers and government departments, who must be held accountable within Parliament instead of through an external commissioner with limited power.
Calls for enforcement of treaties: The party emphasizes that the government already possesses the necessary guidelines and treaty documents to fulfill its obligations and should focus on execution rather than establishing a new oversight body.

NDP

Supports Bill C-10: The NDP supports the bill as a long-requested mechanism for independent oversight and accountability regarding the federal government's implementation of modern treaties.
Establishes independent commissioner: The legislation creates an independent commissioner for modern treaty implementation to audit federal institutions and table reports in Parliament, ensuring constitutional and treaty rights are respected.
Critiques government record: Despite supporting the bill, members criticize the government for failing to uphold treaty rights and international standards, citing lack of consultation on energy development and clean water legislation.

Bloc

Support for Bill C-10: The party supports Bill C-10, noting it directly responds to long-standing requests from First Nations and Inuit for a mechanism to monitor modern treaty implementation.
Advancing self-determination and reconciliation: Supporting the bill aligns with commitments to reconciliation and self-determination, helping dismantle paternalistic and colonialist approaches by holding the federal government accountable.
Concerns over enforcement powers: A key concern is that the commissioner lacks enforcement powers, meaning they can identify government shortcomings but cannot legally compel departments to act.
Resolving departmental silos: Government departments often interpret and implement treaties in silos, creating inconsistencies and delays that the new commissioner must help harmonize.

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Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:50 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, objectively, Conservatives have a much stronger record when it comes to signing modern treaties in government than the Liberal government does. The numbers are very clear on that.

The failure of the government on many fronts has led to pressure for other accountability mechanisms and has led to the government trying to diffuse accountability mechanisms. Again, our view is that the response to these failures of the government should be holding ministers accountable for their decisions and for their failure to make decisions in certain cases, and that the government has a responsibility to expose itself to debate in Parliament and to questions at committee, so that we can work through these crucial issues of the national interest, of nation-building and reconciliation, so that we can do that as the leaders who are responsible here in Parliament for making the decisions that shape the future of our country.

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:50 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if we could go right to the point of Bill C-10 and what the member seems to be focused on, in terms of parliamentary accountability. Bill C-10 sets into place an independent agent of Parliament on a critically important issue, in terms of modern-day treaty agreements.

At the end of the day, I am wondering if the member could provide his thoughts in regard to how it takes away from accountability when there is an independent agent of Parliament providing reports on what the government is or is not doing? How does that take away from accountability?

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Mr. Speaker, there is a lot there. Oftentimes what we see with the government is efforts to defer things that it is responsible for to external bodies when the authority and the ability to act is in the hands of ministers.

Again, I would say the issue here is whether the government has fulfilled its obligations. There is a lot of consensus that the government has failed in this regard. Rather than fix the fundamental problems, the government is offering to create another commissioner, who is not actually going to have the power to solve these problems but who is going to do studies. It is this constant sort of Liberal industry of wanting to fund external activism or external review rather than actually fixing the core problems that the government has the power and responsibility to fix. That is the issue.

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec

The question is on the motion.

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I request that it be carried on division.

(Motion agreed to, bill read the third time and passed)

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I suspect if you were to canvass the House, you would find unanimous consent to call it 6:30 p.m. so we can get into the adjournment debate.

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec

Is it agreed?

Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation ActGovernment Orders

September 21st, 2026 / 5:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.