Prime Minister Mark Carney says any industrial project given priority approval under his government’s new law will have to advance the interests of indigenous peoples — even though the legislation does not make that a legal requirement.Speaking ahead of a private meeting with Métis leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario, Carney said Bill C-5, passed June 26, will be applied with the expectation that qualifying projects “must” serve Indigenous interests and contribute to clean growth and climate goals. Blacklock's Reporter says the act itself only states cabinet “may” consider those interests when deciding if a project is in the national interest..Carney described the law as requiring “meaningful consultation” with indigenous communities, though he did not detail how that would work. “We don’t want pie in the sky projects,” he said. “We want a high probability of success.”Bill C-5 gives cabinet authority to fast-track industrial projects deemed nationally important. Parliament approved it under a July 1 deadline, with Senate sponsor Hassan Yussuff calling it an act of trust among lawmakers. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc told senators in June that the bill’s terms would be defined after it became law, and joked that “veto” was “an aggressive word” — before noting it was also the name of a restaurant in Moncton.
