I just want to make a few comments, some of which are a rehashing of testimony we've given over the last number of days.
I know there have been concerns about and accusations of a lack of consultation over the February 2023 agreement. That agreement is a contract and it's binding only on the parties. That informed part of our decision about whether or not there was an obligation to consult.
This legislation includes recognition of certain Métis government partners that we've been working with for many years to get to this point. Similarly, our determination was that to recognize, for example, the MNA does not have an adverse impact on other governments, even in Alberta, because we're not abrogating or derogating from the rights of other indigenous groups.
When we negotiate treaties with our partners, we will be required—I spoke about this some days ago—to sit down with indigenous groups that feel their rights will potentially be adversely impacted by the terms of that treaty. They will have that treaty in their hands. We need to assure ourselves that there are not adverse impacts or even unintended adverse impacts on, for example, the Métis settlements.
That's a very involved process at that stage, going through every detail of those treaties and getting to a place where we can confidently recommend as government officials that we've done everything to ensure no adverse impacts on other indigenous partners.