Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  From our perspective, the way I see it, it's a transformation that's occurring in this country right now. I hope all governments would support that transformation and not say, “Oh, the Liberals started it, so we can't support it” or “The NDP started it, so we can't support it” or

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Let's start first with what happened before. Right now, my biggest fear is that this document could be used as a weaponized tool for political purposes, not for what its good intentions will do for industry, for us, for indigenous people, for governments and for this country. If

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I actually complimented Premier Horgan and the rest of them in British Columbia for their far-reaching vision of moving on this pathway. If you look at the first nations in British Columbia, they are very well spoken and very well versed on the rights and issues of their matters,

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I agree 100%. I think it's truly a blueprint that sets a foundation of clarity for everybody to work together. I think everybody wants that. Industry wants it. Political parties want it. Governments want it. Provincial and municipal governments and just people want it. I think s

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I don't think it advances Métis rights because we already have those rights. I think what it does is sets the clarity of the process, sets the clarity for how people and industry need to work with us. I will give you a perfect example. I speak highly of Enbridge. People have cri

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  First, I was quite surprised that they're making amendments because I know how strongly Perry has been advocating for getting this thing to royal assent. It's his dream and his aspiration to get it there. By making amendments, you hold everything back, so I was taken a little aba

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The best way to answer, Jamie, is this: We have indigenous governments already, and if you look at [Technical difficulty—Editor] challenges that we've faced in this country for a while, you have the hereditary chiefs and the elected chiefs. What's important is to let them work it

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The government, just like you would.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  If you were sitting as a government, the government makes that decision. Everybody has opinions. If I'm the president of my government, my cabinet and my government will make that decision for all of us. To show our advanced thinking on it, Jamie...and this could be something pe

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There's a sad part about all this, when you look at the history of it and why we're where we are today in society: All that history is a reflection. My mom used to always teach me this. I speak fluent Saulteaux, and when I used to leave, my mom always told me: [Witness spoke in

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Again, recognize that I saw this, from my eyes, and many of our cabinet and other people in the west see this, as being used as a tool to scare industry—that if we support this it will kill their future and their opportunity. That is not true. I guarantee that it's not true. Ho

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think you're hitting the nail on the head when you talk about why other governments are recognized in this country for free, prior and informed consent and not indigenous governments. Again, that is absolutely true. We are governments. I think it's very clear that if there's an

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  In Manitoba, unfortunately we're in a very peculiar position, one that I've not seen in a long time, where the government is trying to avoid consultation. What's happening is that I'm filing matters in the courts, so I'm going to be holding up process and criticized for holding u

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, okay. I understand the question. I thank you for that. It's a good question. Yes, definitely there was. What, of course, took a lot of it away from all of us is COVID. COVID was restraining us from doing what we traditionally would do. As I said, one day you should come to

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The same process, Mr. Melillo, is this. When we have to get approval, we have to go through the Government of Canada, when it's a federal jurisdiction. We have to go to the provincial government for their approval and their decision as to how they are moving forward. The same thi