Industry committee  Well, that's what I learned back in 2004. I've been reviewing LNG projects, forestry projects and solar and wind. You name it, I've reviewed it. I always thought that was the common denominator: to protect the environment but to actually try to do something for the planet as well as trying to uplift aboriginals.

Industry committee  Yes.

Industry committee  A lot of the communities that support LNG, for example, do so under their own community processes, under democratically elected leadership. What you see in B.C. right now is a push to silence or marginalize democratically elected first nations people. It's the politics and ideology.

Industry committee  No. In fact, if they don't get the support of the leadership of a community, they will find somebody else within that community to support their opposition. It's something I have talked about as a number one principle that I see with legislatures: Do not use the first nations for your politics, for those who are among the most disadvantaged people in Canada.

Industry committee  No, UNDRIP will not help, especially in the form of Bill 41 that was passed in the B.C. legislature. It's all rhetoric. It's narrative, and it doesn't actually speak to section 35 of the Constitution. It doesn't speak to any of the pursuant case law that defines section 35 of the Constitution.

Industry committee  I don't recall, because my engagement was actually in position to Enbridge under the Conservative government. One of my biggest issues back then was that nobody truly understood the Haida court case on the duty to consult and accommodate, much less the corporations. In fact, the LNG companies that came in after Enbridge said they would not make the same mistakes as Enbridge.

Industry committee  Before the five minutes starts, I was just told by the tech people not to hold the microphone close to my mouth, so how is this coming through? Can the interpreters hear this okay?

Industry committee  Thank you. My comments come from the last 17 years of reviewing projects in detail in terms of their viability and process. I bring this as great context for understanding how to build and sustain an economy, which leads to our topic today of competitiveness. I also understand the working end of environmental assessments at both the federal and provincial levels, and the permitting regimes under each ministry.

Industry committee  Thank you. My comments come from 17 years of reviewing projects in detail from different directions in terms of their viability and process. I believe this is great context for understanding how to build and sustain an economy, which leads to the topic of competitiveness. I also understand the working end of environmental assessments at both the federal and provincial levels and the permitting regimes under the different ministries.