First of all, just on Bill C-5, I think there are many chiefs behind me who should be speaking about this. Some chiefs are supportive of the economic development opportunities that this bill may provide, while others are absolutely against it. I think the main issue I'm hearing about this bill is that it's being rammed through without consultation or first nations' free, prior and informed consent. If I could look to all of you, I'll have Julie expand a little more on that.
Split this bill. Send the bill back for further study and allow first nations rights holders to attend these hearings so that you can hear directly from them about their rights, titles, communities and ways of life. I think that this country, we're at a pivotal moment here. It has always been...especially first nations. We're the only people around the entire world who are legislated under the Indian Act. No other group—Inuit, Métis—nobody else in the entire world is legislated in the way that our people are legislated.
At the same time, that comes with.... The history of this country has not always been kind to first nations. In this moment, it seems like we've made some progress over the years. We've tried to come together in a better way. We've tried to come together at different tables. You see some communities progressing while others are trying to find their way through the basics of making sure their children have the basics, and there's this huge infrastructure gap. However, at the same time, when you come to this moment and you ram bills through the House and don't take into account the timing...and I've told the Prime Minister and the minister this. I continue to encourage all of you to split this bill. Let's take a little break for a little while and allow for proper consultation with first nations.
I don't want to speak for rights holders. I don't have that mandate. We will be meeting on September 3, 4 and 5. I look forward to hearing from my chiefs then and getting the specifics on what I can and cannot say at that point. At the same time, I think you all have an opportunity this summer to go out to our communities and talk to our leadership, our first nations people from coast to coast to coast, in your territories. All of you have first nations in your territories.
Again, congratulations to all of you on becoming new MPs just moments ago, but let's not start this session off like this. Let's start it off a better way by respecting each other and working together more closely rather than dividing and having a very divided Canada in a moment when we need to be together. First nations have always pulled for this country, but at the same time, pushing us aside and not allowing voices to be heard at this table is not the way to go with this bill. I ask you to split this bill, hold it for the summer and allow for proper consultation with our nations.