Efforts to move nation building projects forward faster will not infringe on Indigenous rights or treaties, says Prime Minister Mark Carney.
That commitment was made as a day of nation-to-nation talks commenced in Inuvik on July 24. Carney is meeting with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Inuvialuit Regional Corporation chair Duane Ningaqsiq Smith.
"(I'm) very pleased to be able to convene this meeting with the prime minister," said Obed. "Your leadership, and especially in convening this meeting so soon after the election and getting back to work within the ICPC (Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee) space is a real indicator that you are willing to work with Inuit in the process that we have set up with the Government of Canada for now eight years or so.
"We come as Inuit understanding that the Government of Canada will always have priorities, and the Inuit will always have priorities," Obed added. "Where we meet in the middle is where we can do the best work and implement our modern treaties ensure that we uphold Inuit rights in this country, and then also just build a better Canada."
Indigenous leaders raised concerns after the federal government pushed Bill C-5, the One Canada Economy Act. Carney said during the July 24 press conference that the act will not violate existing treaty rights.
The prime minister said the federal government is working to establish a single point of contact in a major projects office, which he said would be up and running by Labour Day. Ottawa is also appointing an Indigenous Advisory Council that will operate out of the major projects office to ensure treaty rights are upheld.
"For too for too long, the attitude in Ottawa has been, why should a project be done, as opposed to in response to initiatives and requests for projects. How can we help the project to move forward?" Carney said. "I want to be absolutely clear in this public forum what the (One Canada Economy) act could do and what it doesn't do. Want to be clear up front that the act fully respects treaty rights, including modern treaties, the modern treaties with Inuit treaty organizations.
"It fully respects treaty-based environmental assessment processes. In fact, those will be essential for anything that we move forward," said Carney. "Really, what the act does is it creates conditions for the federal government to be more effective and efficient in our part of the of the partnership."
The prime minister also touched on Arctic security, indicating that the federal government needed to hear from local stakeholders as to what infrastructure they desire, but hinted at a potential dual-use port in Tuktoyaktuk.
"The minister of National Defence does not sleep," he quipped. "I think we're starting to see the first phase of that reaction — 365-day presence in the Arctic, on land, sea and in the air; $6-billion investment in over-the-horizon radar; an expansion of our physical footprint, including with the potential on dual-use port infrastructure.
"Again, we need to hear from you what you think makes the most sense in that regard, so that we can make the right decisions," the prime minister added.
Carney, Smith and Obed will be continuing discussions throughout the day. Among items on the agenda are the Inuvialuit Energy Security Project, housing issues and the Inuvialut Child First Law.
