Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Thank you to our witnesses for joining us.
Thank you for being here, Ms. Farrell.
As you're aware, of course, and as my commentary has been speaking to, the Prime Minister and the federal government announced in October that the west coast oil pipeline, now known as the Pacific link, has been added to the list of projects of national interest and construction is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2027.
As a Pacific coast MP, I—along with many of my colleagues—have heard concerns from our constituents around how the accelerated timelines being pursued by the Major Projects Office may affect the process of both environmental impact assessments and indigenous nations' capacities to fully engage in meaningful consultation and environmental stewardship. We know that these two things are intrinsic to each other, but they're also integral for projects to receive the social licence to move forward.
I'm wondering if you could please speak to the extent to which the timelines that the Major Projects Office is pursuing can still allow for a thorough assessment of the environmental risks associated with this project and uphold meaningful consultation and the honour of the Crown with respect to the affected indigenous peoples and the duty to consult.