I want to weigh in.
I know the governing party has been clear that Bill C-61 is something they don't want to see actual engagement on among first nations. When they introduced this bill, they touted it as the first fully co-developed legislation. We were quite excited to hear about it. Throughout the whole study of this, we had such a huge amount of interest in this bill. We had so many first nations telling us that the consultations were not sufficient. Indeed, when I asked the federal bureaucrats to explain to us how much engagement there was, we learned only 31% of first nations would be impacted among those that were engaged in this.
When we're talking about adding free, prior and informed consent to this subamendment, we're talking about making Bill C-61 compliant with UNDRIP. Right now, as I've said before, Bill C-61 falls below UNDRIP standards. It's unacceptable that the Liberal government continues to introduce legislation, as it did in previous bills, that falls below UNDRIP standards.
How that happens is up to the first nations. How that happens should be up to the first nations to decide. The Liberal government keeps saying they don't want to be too prescriptive. When we've suggested amendments, they've said, “Oh, it's going to be too prescriptive.” Now that we've submitted another subamendment, they're asking me to give them a prescriptive answer. I don't think we should tell first nations how they are going to share their free, prior and informed consent. For example, we've heard in the past that there's going to be an UNDRIP action plan. I know there are other instruments. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has provided documents.
There are documents and instruments out there that will answer that question. It's not up to us to answer or prescribe that response.
Qujannamiik.