Yes, we agree with the overall principle of free, prior and informed consent. I agree that all of the UNDRIP legislation and the principles within it should apply in the guiding principles.
However, I'm asking you how a community.... There are more than 630 bands in Canada. How are we asking each of those to demonstrate free, prior and informed consent? What is the mechanism or thing they do to show it? It's not about whether we agree with the general principle. I agree with the general principle. I'm asking you how a first nations community shows free, prior and informed consent to satisfy this in the legislation. If we don't have an answer to that, we're going to add a layer of bureaucracy to this that makes it impossible for it to be implemented. I need a very specific instrument that a first nation can use to show free, prior and informed consent. We're in agreement with it, but I need to be clear on what a first nations community has to do to have this implemented in their community.
Is it a ratification? Is it a band council resolution? Is it a referendum? Is it an agreement? Is it a memorandum of understanding? I need to know the exact instrument. Otherwise, what we're doing to a first nations community is giving them no way to implement this.