Several Indigenous leaders called on MPs and senators to slow the bill’s passage to give Indigenous communities more time to suggest amendments and review the legislation with their lawyers.
A handful of senators attempted to persuade their colleagues to further strengthen protections for Indigenous Peoples in the legislation but their efforts failed.
Sen. Paul Prosper, who is Mi’kmaq, proposed an amendment to ensure projects cannot be approved without the explicit free, prior and informed consent of affected communities, but it failed to pass.
