QUESTION PERIOD — Justice
Consultations that Preceded and Followed the Tabling of Bill C-15
June 15, 2021
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate.
We learned through a leak that the Government of Quebec is one of six provincial governments that called on Prime Minister Trudeau this spring to make significant changes to Bill C‑15 before it is passed.
In this letter, Premier Legault and the other provincial premiers indicated that this bill encroaches on provincial jurisdictions; that the implementation of the concept of free, prior and informed consent from Indigenous peoples is potentially disruptive; and that there is ambiguity around the potential sharing of natural resource revenue.
How did the federal government respond to these concerns, which, I should point out, are not my concerns, but which do not bode well for the future?
I thank the honourable senator for her question. I can assure you, before the senators in this chamber, that the Government of Canada is committed to the provinces and territories and that it will continue to work with them to develop the action plan set out in Bill C-15 once this bill is passed, which I hope will happen soon, in the same spirit of cooperation the government has shown so far.
My question had more to do with how you responded to the six provinces that signed this letter about the three main issues that I told you about. Did you address their concerns, and what specific place will be accorded to the provinces in the development of the action plan that, consequently, must first be developed by the federal government and Indigenous peoples? Where do the provinces fit into this?
Thank you for your question. According to the information I have, the Prime Minister responded to the premiers, and I can say here in this chamber that according to the proposed action plan, which will be the result of a collaboration between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples, there will certainly be a place for provincial and territorial government representatives.
