Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to start by thanking our witness Maxime St‑Hilaire. I think the issues he highlighted are especially relevant.
I'd like to ask National Chief Woodhouse Nepinak a question, if I may.
I want to refer to what your legal counsel told the Senate yesterday because I found her comments especially informative.
She said that, when you look at Bill C-5, the duty to consult and the standard of free, prior and informed consent were not operationalized within the legislation, meaning that the standards were interpretive and not included in the bill in any concrete way. She said that, with better consultation, those standards could have been addressed. She also said that amendments were necessary but that the government had not taken the time to consult with first nations.
If Bill C‑5 is passed in the current circumstances, with the use of time allocation, could it again lead to decades-long legal battles with first nations?