Bennett says the new Liberal government will rebuild relationships with First Nations, Métis and Inuit by including them in all decisions that affect them and their lands, writes

thestar.com

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told his new ministers that no relationship is more important to him and to Canada than the relationship with Indigenous people.

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The dreaded veto

Canada already has a constitutional obligation to consult indigenous peoples on matters likely to affect their interests, but the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) goes much further, calling on governments to obtain the ” free and informed consent. of indigenous peoples, particularly in the exploitation of natural resources.

The fear that this could lead to a veto was one of the concerns of Canada’s previous government, which is why former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was unwilling to sign the declaration in 2007 and later refused to adopt the final document last year.

Conversations are important

Bennet says that to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, you need to have conversations, and those conversations need to start immediately.

– We are committed to sitting down as soon as possible on anything that will affect the indigenous peoples of Canada, says Bennett, who believes that it is very important that all parliamentarians, government agencies, provinces, territories, mayors and municipalities understand this . .

Timeline: United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

September 13, 2007: The United Nations General Assembly adopts the declaration, but Canada, which has been involved in drafting UNDRIP for many years, joins the United States, Australia and New Zealand in object to the declaration. One concern was that “free and informed consent” could be used as a veto.

November 12, 2010: Canada joins UNDRIP, but calls it an “ambitious document” and notes that it is not legally binding: “We are confident that Canada can interpret the principles set out in the Declaration of a manner consistent with our constitution and legislation. “

September 22, 2014: Canada is the only UN member to refuse to adopt the final document confirming its commitment to UNDRIP, again citing concerns about “free and informed consent.”