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September 7th, 2018

NDP Calls for Study on Duty to Consult Indigenous Peoples

OTTAWA – On Friday, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs will debate an NDP motion to help fix the Liberals' flawed consultation process with First Nations on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, which the Federal Court of Appeal ruled insufficient.

“The Prime Minister likes to say that his most important relationship is with Indigenous peoples, but nothing about the way his government has pushed forward with the Trans Mountain expansion has shown this commitment,” said NDP MP Rachel Blaney (North Island – Powell River). “We need to get this right once and for all – it’s time the Liberal government understands and truly acts on the duty to consult.”

The motion presented by Blaney calls on the committee “to study the efficacy of the federal government’s fulfillment of the duty to consult Indigenous peoples with respect to the Trans-Mountain pipeline purchase and the Trans-Mountain expansion project.” One of the study’s priorities will be hearing testimony from both Indigenous peoples and government ministers.

Earlier this week, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called on the Liberal government to cancel the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline project, overhaul the review process for energy projects, and invest in clean energy jobs for the future.

“The only difference between the Conservative and the Liberal approach is the $4.5 billion of taxpayers' money the Liberals used to buy a pipeline no one else wanted,” said Singh. “We need to ensure that all environmental impacts are considered and that Indigenous peoples are fully consulted.”