Drew Lafond at the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee

Thanks, Mr. Battiste.

I don't see any mechanism in Bill S-2 currently, which would allow or empower first nations to take back exclusive authority, jurisdiction or citizenship. That's one of the bill's weaknesses. It's certainly something that needs to be addressed immediately. Again, we can look to previous examples, such as Bill S-3 in 2017, as a legal precedent for guidance on that point.