{"id":267351,"date":"2019-06-27T10:30:53","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T14:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/issues\/trudeaus-paradoxical-definition-of-indigenous-consent\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T22:35:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:35:46","slug":"trudeaus-paradoxical-definition-of-indigenous-consent","status":"publish","type":"issues","link":"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2019\/06\/trudeaus-paradoxical-definition-of-indigenous-consent\/","title":{"rendered":"Trudeau\u2019s paradoxical definition of Indigenous consent"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest cabinet approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline came less than a day after the federal government declared a climate emergency. While the irony was a dream <\/a>for satirists<\/a>, it wasn\u2019t the biggest contradiction of the day. Instead, it was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s bizarre definition of free, prior, and informed consent<\/a> (FPIC) with regard to projects that will impact Indigenous land and rights: \u201c[FPIC] is what we engaged in doing with Indigenous communities over the past number of months. It is engaging, looking with them, listening to the issues they have and responding meaningfully to the concerns they have wherever possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Trudeau\u2019s definition, consent is: listening to issues, responding to concerns wherever possible, and then forging ahead. As Indigenous lawyer and scholar Pam Palmater pointed out<\/a><\/u>, imagine if that definition of consent was applied in the context of sexual relations?<\/p>\n

The prime minister\u2019s comments largely went unnoticed in the mainstream media, but his government\u2019s skewed understanding of FPIC and half-hearted attempts at consultations with Indigenous communities remain the core reason it will be unable to move the project forward. Moreover, Ottawa\u2019s purchase of the pipeline created an inherent conflict of interest as it purported to sit down for meaningful consultations.<\/p>\n

\u201cListening to the issues\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what exactly was the government \u201cengaged in doing\u201d with Indigenous communities since last August, when the Federal Court of Appeal<\/a> found that \u201cCanada did not fulfil its duty to consult\u201d on the pipeline and quashed the National Energy Board\u2019s approval of it?<\/p>\n

Many of the First Nations that had appealed to the court expressed their dissatisfaction with the renewed Stage III consultation process that the court had mandated.<\/p>\n

The Squamish First Nation said it had been assured there were no time limits for the consultations, only to discover that cabinet did have an end date in mind. Khelsilem, a Squamish Nation spokesperson, told a news conference that they had been sent documents for feedback after<\/em> May 22, the federal government\u2019s self-imposed deadline for comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we experienced was a shallow attempt at consultation that resulted in a failure to address our concerns,\u201d said Khelsilem<\/a>. \u201cThe failure to meaningfully engage with rights holders means this government is either not serious about building this pipeline or not serious about respecting Indigenous rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chief Lee Spahan of Coldwater Indian Band said, <\/a>\u201cThe meaningful dialogue that was supposed to happen never happened.\u201d A study of the community\u2019s aquifer had not yet occurred, and an existing pipeline spill has yet to be remediated.<\/p>\n

Chief Leah George-Wilson of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said that consultation once again fell well below the mark set by the Supreme Court of Canada in a number of key decisions, including Tsilhqot\u2019in<\/em><\/a>. This constitutional obligation of the Crown\u2019s was re-emphasized in the Federal Court of Appeal ruling. George-Wilson also noted that the federal government was in a conflict of interest \u2013 that its multiple hats as proponent, decision-maker, enforcer of laws and fiduciary to First Nations and all Canadians made it impossible to make an open-minded, unbiased decision.<\/p>\n

These issues of bias and conflict of interest could play a role in the forthcoming legal challenges. From an administrative law standpoint, a reasonable apprehension of bias or the actual bias of the decision-makers raise questions of procedural fairness in the approval of the pipeline expansion. Trying to sell the $4.5 billion-pipeline to the private sector without an approval for its expansion would result in significant financial loss for the federal government. In other words, the approval of the pipeline results in a direct financial benefit for the people who made the decision.<\/p>\n

Beyond that, the bias and conflict-of-interest issues also relate to Indigenous consultation. Did cabinet enter into those discussions with Indigenous communities with an open mind? Was a \u201cno\u201d ever a plausible outcome when the starting point was to consult and \u201cwhen possible offer reasonable accommodation<\/a>\u201d? What of the prime minister himself saying, \u201cWe are determined to see that pipeline built<\/a>\u201d?<\/p>\n

In the Gitxaala<\/em><\/a> decision<\/a> (the case that stopped Enbridge\u2019s Northern Gateway project), some First Nations argued that the decision on that project was pre-judged, in part due to former Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver\u2019s comment that the project was in the national interest. While the court found that a single statement was insufficient to establish bias, the judgment notes that Oliver\u2019s comment was of concern.<\/a><\/p>\n

Taken together, the concerns expressed by First Nations about consultation, consent, bias and conflict of interest represent serious legal risk and uncertainty for the project moving forward. We don\u2019t know yet how many First Nations will appeal the decision, or the grounds on which they will appeal. But we do know that Trans Mountain\u2019s legal troubles are far from over.<\/p>\n

Trudeau\u2019s impoverished views of consultation and consent suggest that Canada was once again aiming for the minimum<\/a> when it engaged with First Nations.<\/p>\n

While the paradox of approving an oil pipeline less than a day after declaring a climate emergency got most of the attention (and deservedly so), there are more troubling contradictions that might have a more significant impact when the courts are asked to rule on the constitutionality of the approval.<\/p>\n

Photo:\u00a0Indigenous drummers perform a drum circle prior to a demonstration against the approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline, in Victoria on June 22, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS\/Dirk Meissner<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

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The latest cabinet approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline came less than a day after the federal government declared a climate emergency. While the irony was a dream for satirists, it wasn\u2019t the biggest contradiction of the day. Instead, it was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau\u2019s bizarre definition of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":275979,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-10-08T02:35:48Z","apple_news_api_id":"2f5af2b0-7e13-4ffc-bea0-beb631935e8a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-10-08T02:35:48Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AL1rysH4TT_y-oL62MZNeig","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false},"categories":[9380,9361,9372],"tags":[],"article-status":[],"irpp-category":[4371,4261],"section":[],"irpp-tag":[],"class_list":["post-267351","issues","type-issues","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-autochtones","category-environnement","category-recent-stories-fr","irpp-category-autochtones","irpp-category-environnement"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nTrudeau\u2019s paradoxical definition of Indigenous consent<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/policyoptions.irpp.org\/fr\/2019\/06\/trudeaus-paradoxical-definition-of-indigenous-consent\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trudeau\u2019s paradoxical definition of Indigenous consent\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The latest cabinet approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline came less than a day after the federal government declared a climate emergency. 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