Prime Minister Mark Carney told Métis leaders on Thursday that their voices will be heard and the respected rights since the liberal government implements its legislation to accelerate the main projects that are considered in national interest.
When he opened a small summit in Ottawa, Carney said that for too long decisions of economic and public policy were made without listening to the voices of Métis. But “we are listening now,” he added.
“Respecting the rights of indigenous peoples is at the center of the Canada Construction Law. It is integrated into the law itself,” said Carney within the geography and exploration center in 50 Sussex Drive, along the Ottawa River.
“This law requires a significant consultation with indigenous peoples both in the process of determining which projects are of national interest and in the development of the conditions for each project.”
Indigenous peoples have expressed concern about legislation that is potentially used to neglect environmental protections and ignore their rights in the name of cutting the bureaucracy. Thursday’s meeting is the last of the three calls this summer aimed at relieving their fears.
A summit with the leaders of the first nations last month ended with some optimism, but for most of the questions they remained. At their meeting, Inuit leaders made sure that the law will not violate their modern treaties.
Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with Metis leaders in Ottawa on bill C-5, the main project law. In his opening comments, Carney said that Métis has played a ‘fundamental role as merchants and qualified travelers “throughout the history of Canada.
On Thursday, Carney recognized the contributions of the Métis nation to Canada as merchants and travelers who helped to forge the original commercial networks of the country.
“In some aspects, our task today is part of a process of creating new commercial networks, new forms of commerce in Canada, both with total recognition in this era of methods of methods and full access to the opportunities and prosperity that this building will create,” he said.
However, the summit is happening in the middle of a boycott for the leaders and concerns of Manitoba Metis of other groups that were not even invited.
A short distance at the Chateau Laurier hotel on Wednesday, the Manitoba Methis Federation (MMF) denounced the inclusion of the Liberal Government of the Methis of Ontario (MNO), a group that the Federation has accused of indigenous identity theft.
David Chartrand, president of MMF, the federally recognized government of the Red Metis River, told journalists that the door remains open to meet, but if Carney wants to “insult us, then we will see each other in a different political sphere.”
The prime minister seemed notedolar when he entered the meeting on Thursday.
“I had a very good conversation with President Chartrand last night. We have had a good commitment directly to Manitoba Metis and that will continue,” he told reporters.
The British Methis Nation Columbia (MNBC) also refused to attend after he was only invited to participate as an online observer. The independent Methis communities were not invited either.
Canada invited the four Methis groups with signed self-government agreements: otypemisiwak Methis Government (OMG) in Alberta, Methisis Nation-Askatchewan (MN-S), MMF and MNO.
The media were not allowed to enter the meeting room, but the copies of the opening comments of some Methis leaders provided to indigenous CBC suggest a collaborative mood inside.
“Let me be clear, the Métis nation within Alberta is not here to stop the main projects, we are here to help them,” says the opening comments of the president of OMG, Andrea Sandmaier.
The opening speech of the president of Mno, Margaret Froh, emphasized that the Supreme Court of Canada in 2003 unanimously affirmed the existence of a community of methods with rights in Sault Ste and its surroundings. Marie, Ontario.
“The Prime Minister, the Mno and the Methis Communities we represent we hope to work with his government to implement the law,” says Froh’s speech.
