When it comes to consultation, I think there's been a lot of interference. I think the process set out by this government means well, but when you're having interference from the AFN and others who are saying that this is how it's supposed to be, affecting the relationship between government and the first nations, it can be problematic. When it comes to engagement and consultation, how people who are advising government decide what is meaningful consultation versus how the first nations themselves want to be consulted may be at conflicting ends—but they may be on the same side as well. It all depends on how you're reaching out to that first nation.
I can go back to this government. I can go back to the previous government. I can go back to...and we get it back home as well, as first nations chiefs: “You have not consulted us. You're asking government to consult with you, yet you're not even doing an effective job of consulting us, and we're your members.” You'll always be guilty of that. The challenge is to ensure that there is that openness and that willingness to tweak whatever you have to, when it comes to consultation, to meet whatever standard is required within that community. Just going once is not the answer. Even for us, in our own first nations community, we have to go back more than once to get a yes or to continue getting a no. At least we've consulted. It's important that the communication, that the engagement, is proper.