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Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is setting his government apart from neighbouring provinces by insisting he doesn’t need Ottawa’s controversial legislation to fast-track major resource projects.
His government can break ground on the kinds of projects Ottawa wants by involving Indigenous communities from the start, he said.
“In other parts of the country with other levels of government, there’s the commitment to maybe push things through with legislation first,” Kinew told reporters this week.
“That puts other partners on the back foot.”
A lack of upfront consultation is why Manitoba didn’t sign on to a recent memorandum of understanding with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario to explore the feasibility of a new west-east pipeline — even though it would run through Kinew’s province.
Kinew says his approach will “prove to be the one that gets things done for the country.”
Kinew says early consultations will pay off
Political leaders in Canada are pushing to expedite major development projects as a way to boost the economy in the face of the U.S. trade war.
But their approach is stirring controversy. The federal government’s Bill C-5 was designed to approve major projects even before an environmental assessment and the Crown’s constitutional duty to consult affected Indigenous communities is complete.
That law, and a similar Ontario law, are now facing legal challenges.
“Spending a bit more time” on project proposals is how “we’re actually going to be able to maintain a true nation-building approach,” Kinew said.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said ‘moving forward together’ will be the approach that ‘gets things done for the country’ when it comes to nation-building projects.
He predicted Manitoba will be a model for other jurisdictions, getting projects “to the finish line as fast or faster than anyone else,” during a recent interview with CBC’s Power and Politics.
A political scientist who’s studied Métis politics believes Kinew is smart to proactively solicit Indigenous support.
“This is the benefit, I think, of having a First Nations premier,” said Kelly Saunders, an associate political science professor at Brandon University. Kinew hails from Onigaming First Nation in western Ontario.
“Maybe non-Indigenous premiers really don’t understand the value of … relationship-building and how to do that in a meaningful way.”
The partnership with Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario will study if new pipelines and rail lines to bring western oil and gas to southern Ontario refineries and ports are worth it.
A news release says the provinces will fulfil their duty to consult with Indigenous communities, which is still required under Bill C-5.
However, if buy-in from Indigenous leadership isn’t secured from the start, the long history of conflicts with Indigenous people over infrastructure projects will persist, says University of British Columbia professor emeritus George Hoberg.
“You can either advance a project and then wait for the First Nations groups to sue you and wait to see what the courts decide, or you could get their agreement in advance,” said Hoberg, who studies natural resource development.
While Kinew is open to building resource development projects — which puts him at odds with environmentalists and NDP supporters across Canada — he may still face staunch opposition from Indigenous groups, she said. For example, hydroelectric developments in northern Manitoba have led to forced relocation and allegations of sexual abuse, racism and environmental degradation.
Despite this history, Grand Chief Kyra Wilson with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said Indigenous communities will assess each project on its merit.
She expects protecting the environment to be top of mind.
“There might be some nations and some leadership that will say no to certain major projects … and that’s OK,” she said.
“We need to be able to say no when it comes to anything that may have a negative impact on our lands and our territories.”
Canadians split on who has final say
A new Angus Reid Institute poll suggests a majority of Canadians believe First Nations should be meaningfully consulted on projects deemed in the national interest, but they’re split on who should hold the deciding power.
Forty per cent of Canadians say the government and companies should retain final say, while 25 per cent say First Nations should have a veto if projects infringe on their lands.
The Angus Reid Institute conducted the online survey July 24 to 29 among a randomized sample of 2,508 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.
Some First Nations and Métis leaders say Kinew is trying to secure Indigenous backing early in the development process by creating an Indigenous Crown corporation that reviews and approves nation-building projects.
While Kinew wouldn’t comment, citing the preliminary nature of discussions, Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said Indigenous groups would also look at how to create revenue opportunities from these developments.
Ideas the province has floated include a “trade corridor” to the Port of Churchill along Hudson Bay and fast-tracking mining in northern Manitoba.
The Manitoba Métis Federation and the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, which represents 32 Anishinaabe and Dakota First Nations in the province, signed a memorandum of understanding this week vowing to collaborate on any nation-building projects running through their territories.
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Chartrand said the agreement could show the rest of the country Indigenous groups deserve to be at the forefront of these projects.
“What’s beautiful is location, location, location — Manitoba is right in the middle,” he said.
Grand Chief Jerry Daniels with the Southern Chiefs Organization expressed some hesitation a Crown corporation would leave “First Nations’ consent at the boardroom table,” but sees potential in the genuine involvement of Indigenous stakeholders in major developments.
“We want to create as much wealth creation for our First Nations as we possibly can, keeping in mind the impact on our environment,” he said.
Source: cbc
