The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Felix Collins, Minister for Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs:

Minister Releases Aboriginal Consultation Policy

Mr. Speaker, for more than two decades, the Provincial Government has been consulting with Aboriginal organizations on land and resource development decisions in Labrador.

In May 2012, government announced plans to update and publish its Aboriginal Consultation Policy to guide and facilitate consultation with Aboriginal organizations.

I am pleased this afternoon to announce that we have finalized this policy and have made it publicly available on the Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat’s website.

This new policy helps to clarify government’s expectations and requirements during Aboriginal consultation processes and clearly establishes the roles and responsibilities of all parties including the Provincial Government, Aboriginal organizations and project proponents. The ultimate goal is to help ensure that resource development decisions minimize, or where practical eliminate, potentially adverse impacts on asserted Aboriginal rights.

Governments have a duty to consult Aboriginal organizations whose asserted Aboriginal rights might be negatively affected by land and resource development. This new policy will aid us greatly in continuing to respect this obligation and in giving Aboriginal organizations a meaningful voice in the process.

Industry will also benefit from this policy as it will ensure potential impacts of development activities are understood and addressed in a timely and transparent fashion.

Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Consultation Policy was informed by consultations with Aboriginal organizations and industry stakeholders and, a draft policy was made publicly available. All feedback was considered in finalizing the new policy.

Model Aboriginal consultation guidelines will be developed to provide practical, step-by-step guidance to regulatory, industry and Aboriginal officials on how consultations shall be conducted.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few decades, we have seen considerable advances with respect to Aboriginal consultation. Through this policy we are making further advances in ensuring that potential negative effects on asserted Aboriginal rights are addressed during government’s decision-making on land and resource development.

Thank you Mr. Speaker.

2013 04 23                             2:10 p.m.