Thank you, Mr. Chair.
There have been some discussions. One of our concerns was around the word “consent” without having the ability to demonstrate that consent. One might say that all Indian Act communities, even if they're at the beginning stages of going through different processes, would understand what a band council resolution is, so our slight amendment to CPC-1, which has just been sent out in both official languages, says, “The Minister must obtain the consent of the First Nation governing body”—and this is where we'd like the wording—“as identified through a band council resolution before applying the standards referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b).”
This lets the community show what we believe is the path forward for a community to demonstrate that consent without having major delays in the future.