Inuvik: Prime Minister Mark Carney is meeting with Inuit leaders in Inuvik today to discuss the controversial Bill C-5. According to Nathan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Indigenous people have many questions about the bill, and the meeting is expected to clarify their role in a single Canadian economy.
Mandy Gull-Masty, the Federal Minister of Indigenous Services, said the meeting of the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee is a forum for discussing how to advance projects in a mutually beneficial manner while respecting Inuit sovereignty rights. The recently passed legislation, also known as the One Canadian Economy Act, gives the federal government the power to fast-track projects deemed to be in the national interest by sidestepping environmental protections and other legislation.
