Bill 5 and Indigenous Consultation

This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Ottawa’s plans to fast-track infrastructure projects. The effort aims to bolster the Canadian economy, as our trade war with the U.S. stretches on. Provinces are also in a rush to expedite project approvals and reviews — the controversial Bill 5 is currently working its way through the Ontario legislature, and B.C. just narrowly passed Bill 15.

Some Indigenous nations and leaders, along with conservation groups and civil liberty associations, oppose the fast-track efforts gaining momentum across Canada. And even as governments affirm their duty to consult, Indigenous leaders warn road and rail blockades may be coming.

The Globe’s Jeff Gray has been reporting on Premier Doug Ford’s Bill 5. He’ll explain the wave of fast-track legislation we’re seeing across Canada, and how the effort to speed development up may actually slow things down.

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