Madam Chair, I will grab this opportunity, since if this is defeated, obviously my identical amendment would go down.
The term “traditional knowledge” is of concern for indigenous peoples, and I think we have an obligation under the Constitution to consult thoroughly on what we mean by that. Indigenous ways of knowing extend to something beyond what we might think of as traditional. I've heard concern from indigenous peoples that their knowledge of ecosystems in the context of this bill, of what's important for fish habitat and fish productivity, is not merely those things that come down through the ages, like a mason jar full of stuff that's preserved and that's your traditional knowledge. The traditional knowledge evolves.
The way in which it's defined is going to be critical for indigenous governments and indigenous peoples across Canada, which is why both the NDP amendment and the Green Party amendment attempt to have a regulation that further teases out what we mean by traditional knowledge, and that regulation will be made after there's a consultation process with indigenous peoples.
(Amendment negatived [See Minutes of Proceedings])