Say 'NO' to rushed development legislation that fast-tracks corporate interests and undermines Indigenous Peoples' rights.
"Both crown governments don't have a concept or an idea of what treaty means, they trample over our rights, they are trying to assimilate us, that will never happen because we have our customs laws and practices. We have to sit down to discuss the true concept of nation to nation relationship."
— Danny Metatawabin, Fort Albany First Nation
Right now, three development bills in Canada — Bill 5 (Ontario), Bill 15 (British Columbia), and Bill C-5 (Federal) — fast-track corporate interests and undermine Indigenous Peoples' rights and environmental protections. These pieces of legislation sideline Indigenous Peoples' rights by removing their voices from decisions that impact their land, their lives, and all of our futures.
Under the guise of "efficiency" and "urgency," these bills allow governments to:
• Bypass the Free Prior & Informed Consent of Indigenous Nations, ignoring the human rights guaranteed by international laws;
• Fast-track major infrastructure projects, like pipelines or highways, without meaningful public input or environmental assessment;
• Undermine environmental protections and/or labour rights, paving the way for reckless development that benefits corporate interests over people and the planet.
These bills reflect a broader trend among governments across Canada of invoking economic urgency to justify curtailing environmental protections, consultation with Indigenous Peoples, and human rights – something seen in countries experiencing democratic regression and decreasing civic space.
“We are experiencing a rise of authoritarian practices around the world, which Canada is not immune to," explains Ketty Nivyabandi, Amnesty International Canada's Secretary General. "Canada must respond by championing an approach that puts partnership with Indigenous Nations, rule of law, human rights, and ultimately, people first.”
Our future shouldn’t be built on a foundation of exclusion and exploitation.
This is about more than legislation — it’s about values. At a time when powerful economic players — like Prime Minister Mark Carney and his allies — sit around a boardroom table and decide to put profits over people and the planet, we must insist: our economy must be built on human rights, dignity, compassion and justice.
We must refuse to let fear, trade disputes, or political pressure from American bullies dictate Canada’s values.
We must act now to defend human rights!
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