Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he would incentivize First Nations to support natural-resource projects through industry taxes and revisiting how much sway Indigenous Peoples and environmental considerations have over approving projects.
The proposals drew some swift criticism from experts and researchers.
Speaking at a rally in Ottawa on Saturday, Poilievre said he would encourage Indigenous leaders to support natural resource projects by 香蕉视频直播渓etting companies pay a share of their federal corporate taxes to local First Nations香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� a position he first announced last year.
He added that First Nations could spend that revenue on 香蕉视频直播渃lean drinking water and a better future for their people.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 want the First Nations people of Canada to be the richest people in the world,香蕉视频直播� Poilievre said, adding he would repeal Bill C-69, which requires that resource projects be assessed for environmental, health, social and economic impacts and respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Poilievre also pledged to approve federal permits for mining the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario 香蕉视频直播� a controversial project opposed by some First Nations in the region.
When asked whether these policies could address water access and advance economic empowerment, First Nations experts were skeptical, while a Conservative MP who serves as his party香蕉视频直播檚 critic on Indigenous issues said the current approach to reconciliation isn香蕉视频直播檛 working.
Hayden King, executive director of the Indigenous-led think tank and research body Yellowhead Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University, said the ideas behind Poilievre香蕉视频直播檚 proposals are not new.
He said Poilievre is 香蕉视频直播渄oubling down香蕉视频直播� on Conservative policies that led to tensions between Indigenous Peoples and the government of former prime minister Stephen Harper香蕉视频直播檚 government 香蕉视频直播� tensions that drove the Idle No More movement.
That movement brought together Indigenous activists from across the country to protest Harper香蕉视频直播檚 Jobs and Growth Act 香蕉视频直播� a bill they said would diminish their rights while giving governments and businesses more authority to develop resources without strict environmental assessments.
香蕉视频直播淧revious Conservative leaders have really said the same thing going back generations. Poilievre hasn香蕉视频直播檛 really amended the playbook, but in other ways I think he香蕉视频直播檚 really accelerated the philosophy,香蕉视频直播� King said, adding it appears Poilievre is 香蕉视频直播渁bandoning香蕉视频直播� elements of the Constitution that require consultation with Indigenous Peoples.
香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 either obtuse to constitutional requirements or doesn香蕉视频直播檛 care about them. And of course, if it香蕉视频直播檚 the latter, he香蕉视频直播檒l find himself in court,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Dawn Martin-Hill, a First Nations water researcher with Ohneganos in Six Nations and McMaster University, said Poilievre香蕉视频直播檚 comments follow U.S. President Donald Trump香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渄octrine香蕉视频直播� of promising tribes they香蕉视频直播檒l be rich if they permit pipeline developments they have opposed in the past.
香蕉视频直播淢ost Indigenous leaders would see right through (what Poilievre said) because we香蕉视频直播檝e been around that corner a few times,香蕉视频直播� said Martin-Hill.
香蕉视频直播淪elling your soul to have what other Canadians have, which is access to clean drinking water coming out of your tap, is highly problematic.香蕉视频直播�
In a statement issued Wednesday, Conservative MP Jamie Schmale said his party believes the 香蕉视频直播淥ttawa knows best香蕉视频直播� approach to Indigenous issues isn香蕉视频直播檛 working.
香蕉视频直播淚n addition, a Poilievre Conservative government will reverse the disastrous and unconstitutional Carney-Trudeau Liberal radical policies that have killed resource projects and blocked prosperity for First Nations communities who were ready and willing partners,香蕉视频直播� said Schmale, the party香蕉视频直播檚 critic for Crown-Indigenous relations and Indigenous services.
香蕉视频直播淲e have trillions of dollars of resource wealth right beneath our feet and in many cases, it belongs to First Nations Peoples and communities. We will rapidly approve LNG plants, pipelines and mines, and by partnering with First Nations to develop our world class resources, we will bring home powerful paycheques while making First Nations People the richest on Earth.香蕉视频直播�
Billy Morin, the former chief of Enoch Cree Nation who is running as a Conservative candidate in the next election, expressed support online for Poilievre香蕉视频直播檚 remarks Monday, saying Canada 香蕉视频直播渘eeds new leadership commitments to unlock our resource potential.香蕉视频直播�
Pointing to Poilievre香蕉视频直播檚 remarks on water, King said it appears a Conservative government under Poilievre would offload its obligations to Indigenous Peoples onto industry.
The Liberals promised they would end all long-term drinking water advisories by March 2021. While 147 have been lifted since 2015, 33 are still in effect in 31 communities.
The Conservatives have often attacked the Liberals香蕉视频直播� for failing to fulfil that promise. The Liberal government last year introduced Bill C-61, which recognizes that First Nations have an inherent right to clean drinking water and commits the government to providing adequate and sustainable funding for water services on First Nations.
In early December, Liberal MP Jaime Battiste, who is Mi香蕉视频直播檏maq, asked for unanimous consent from MPs to send the bill to the Senate. Several Conservative MPs said no. Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer then tabled a similar motion that also accused the Liberal government of inaction.
That motion was also defeated, which meant the bill did not proceed to the Senate. With Parliament prorogued, C-61 remains in limbo.
A spokesperson for Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu called Poilievre香蕉视频直播檚 remarks on First Nations and water 香蕉视频直播渘ot surprising.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淗e is saying that communities only deserve clean drinking water if they let private corporations exploit their lands and resources,香蕉视频直播� Hannah Weiler said in a media statement.
香蕉视频直播淧ierre wants to go back the days where government ignores communities and ignores potential. That香蕉视频直播檚 bad for everyone.香蕉视频直播�
Schmale said his party is 香蕉视频直播渃ommitted to improving access to clean water香蕉视频直播� by allowing communities to spend money on what they think is important.
Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
