Thanks, folks, for being here. I appreciate it.
My first question would probably be for Mr. Hopkins.
Last week, we had a prominent indigenous leader appear before the committee, Steven Nitah. I asked him whether he had any suggestions on how the federal government might do things differently when we are negotiating for the establishment of protected areas. He said:
One of the biggest challenges we had at the negotiating table was fettering the minister's authority. When we're talking nation-to-nation discussions, the minister has to be able to get into a partnership relationship with indigenous governments and be able to share responsibility and authority over those areas.
If you are the right person for this, Mr. Hopkins, can you explain the legal significance of “fettering the minister's authority” and how this legal hurdle could potentially impede negotiations? What are our options in the future of perhaps finding better ways to negotiate?