In an interview with the National Post, the author of a recently released MLI report on the duty to consult said opposition from Aboriginal groups should not necessarily force the federal government to cancel major natural resource projects.
Dwight Newman made the comments while speaking about his MLI paper, titled “The Rule and Role of Law: The duty to consult, Aboriginal communities, and the Canadian natural resource Sector“, which examines the government’s responsibilities in accommodating First Nations groups.
“The duty to consult is not about the views of the communities, it’s about what the impact is on aboriginal rights or treaty rights,” he told the Post. “The communities could be opposed, but still not have identified large impacts on their rights, and in that case the governments still have the ability to go forward.”
The story comes on the heels of a recently released report from the UN that called on the federal government to get permission from Aboriginal groups before giving approval to major projects such as Enbridge’s Northern Gateway energy pipeline.
Read the story here.
